U.S. Flag-Bearer No Longer Carries Burden


TURIN, Italy - Olympic gold medal speedskater Chris Witty will carry the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony of the Turin Games. The 30-year-old Witty won gold while setting a world record in the 1,000 meters at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She won silver and bronze medals at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.



"It's an amazing team to be part of, but to lead them into the opening ceremonies, I'm thrilled and I can't imagine a bigger honor than this," Witty said.

Witty, a native of Waukesha, Wis., also was in the Summer Olympics, competing in track cycling at the 2000 Sydney Games — becoming the ninth U.S. athlete to compete in both the Summer and Winter games. She also was an alternate at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Since the Salt Lake City Olympics, Witty has revealed that she was sexually abused as a child by a neighbor in suburban Milwaukee — a secret she held for 20 years. The abuse led to feelings of guilt, an inability to trust people, awkwardness as a teenager and serious depression.

She has since become an advocate for child-abuse awareness.

"What a great opportunity to come to my fifth Olympics, be flag bearer and also be a returning medalist so I have a platform to talk about something and hopefully do some good in this world," Witty said.

"Abuse of any kind exists because of secrecy," she said. "Just breaking the silence — just get people talking about it, because it's such a common problem and it doesn't need to be."

She is expected to compete in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 in Turin, and is one of the medal favorites in the 1,500.

Witty's selection means that a U.S. speedskater will carry the flag for a second straight Winter Olympics. Four years ago, Amy Peterson carried the U.S. flag into the opening ceremony at Salt Lake City Games.