Simone Biles to carry U.S. flag in Olympic closing ceremony

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RIO DE JANEIRO – Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles was selected Saturday to carry the United States flag during Sunday's Closing Ceremony for the Rio Olympics.

Biles, 19, of Spring was selected for the honor by a vote of U.S. Olympic team members. She will be the first U.S. gymnast to carry the flag during the concluding celebration.

"It's an incredible honor to be selected as the flag bearer by my Team USA teammates," Biles said in a statement from the U.S. Olympic Committee. "This experience has been the dream of a lifetime for me and my team and I consider it a privilege to represent my country, the United States Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics by carrying our flag.

"I also wish to thank the city of Rio de Janeiro, and the entire country of Brazil, for hosting an incredible Games."

Biles' father Ron called his daughter's selection "the pinnacle award from these games."

"We are ecstatic that she was elected as the flag bearer for Team USA at the closing ceremony," Ron Biles said. "I believe this is the pinnacle award from these games. We feel truly blessed and fortunate for this honor."

Simone Biles of Spring will be the first U.S. gymnast to carry the flag during the Olympic closing ceremony. Simone Biles of Spring will be the first U.S. gymnast to carry the flag during the Olympic closing ceremony. Photo: TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images Photo: TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images Image 1 of / 254 Caption Close Simone Biles to carry U.S. flag in Olympic closing ceremony 1 / 254 Back to Gallery

Biles and her "Final Five" teammates, winners of the team gold medal by a record margin, elected to stay in the Olympic Village after completing competition and will leave for New York on Monday for a series of promotional appearances before returning to their homes later in the week.

In her first Olympic Games, Biles won the women's team gold medal, the all-around championship and event championships in vault and floor exercise plus a bronze medal on balance beam.

Larissa Latynina of the Soviet Union (1956), Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia (1968) and Ekaterina Szabo (1984) of Romania were the only other gymnasts also to win four golds in the same Olympics.

Previous Closing Ceremony flag bearers include soccer player Mia Hamm, wrestler Rulon Gardner, swimmer Don Schollander and discus thrower Al Oerter.