VANCOUVER, BC, Canada – The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today that luge athlete and five-time Olympian Mark Grimmette (Muskegon, Mich.) has been selected as flag bearer for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team by fellow members of Team USA. Grimmette, 39, was notified of his selection by his doubles teammate, Brian Martin (Palo Alto, Calif.).

“I’m still shaking.” Grimmette said. “I was incredibly surprised when Brian [Martin] told me, and I’m still trying to process it all. To be the person leading the U.S. Team into the Opening Ceremony is just such a great honor.”

Grimmette and Martin are the most successful sled in U.S. luge history. The duo took home the silver medal in doubles luge at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and bronze at the 1998 Games in Nagano. They are three-time overall World Cup champions (1998, 1999, 2003) and six-time World Championship bronze medalists (1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009).

Grimmette made his Olympic debut in 1994 at the Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games with doubles partner Jonathan Edwards (fourth). He competed on the Olympic stage in 1998 (bronze), 2002 (silver) and 2006 (DNF) with Martin. He is one of three, five-time Olympians on the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team, joining nordic combied skier Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and ski cross athlete Casey Puckett (Aspen, Colo.).

“The exposure for the sport of luge is great,” Grimmette said. “We’re a small organization, but a hard-working organization. In the past, we’ve had Frank Masley and Cammy Myler carry the flag. Now, I’m honored to be representing our sport and this whole U.S. Team.”

Grimmette joins Frank Masley (1984) and Cammy Myler (1994) as the third U.S. luge athlete to lead the team.

Doubles luge competition takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the Whistler Sliding Center.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Grimmette will be available during a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 12 noon PT in the Gabriola room in the Main Press Center in Vancouver. He and Martin will also be part of a 2010 U.S. Olympic Doubles Luge Team press conference in the Whistler Media Center at 7 p.m. PT on Thursday, Feb. 11.

U.S. OLYMPIC WINTER TEAM FLAG BEARERS – OPENING CEREMONY

1924     Clarence John Abel, Ice Hockey

1928     Godfrey Dewey, President, Lake Placid Organizing Committee

1932     William Mead Fiske III, Bobsled

1936     Rolf B. Monsen, Nordic Skiing

1948     John R. Heaton, Bobsled

1952     James John Bickford, Bobsled

1956     James John Bickford, Bobsled

1960     Donald J. McDermott, Speedskating

1964     William D. Disney, Speedskating

1968     Richard T. McDermott, Speedskating

1972     Dianne Holum, Speedskating

1976     Cynthia Nelson, Alpine Skiing

1980     Scott Hamilton, Figure Skating

1984     Frank Masley, Luge

1988     Lyle Nelson, Biathlon

1992     Bill Koch, Nordic Skiing

1994     Cammy Myler, Luge

1998     Eric Flaim, Speedskating

2002     Amy Peterson, Speedskating

2006     Chris Witty, Speedskating

2010     Mark Grimmette, Luge

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