Amy Peterson, a four-time Olympian in short track speed skating, has been selected by her U.S. teammates to carry the American flag in Friday night's Winter Games Opening Ceremonies in Salt Lake City. Peterson is a three-time Olympic medal winner and an eight-time U.S. short track speed skating champion. She holds all the women's American records in the sport.
Peterson had one of the greatest comeback stories at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome to finish fourth in the 1,000 meters.
These will be her last Olympics, and Peterson says the honor of carrying the U.S. flag tops eveything.
"These games for me were about sticking it out for four more years, so that I could compete in the Olympic games in the United States of America," she said. "Carrying the flag is just beyond anything that I thought was gonna happen in these games. And they haven't even begun and they're already the best experience at the Olympic games that I've had."
The flag Amy Peterson will carry in the Olympic parade of nations will not be the one recovered from New York's World Trade Center after the terror attacks, although the tattered flag will be part of the opening ceremonies.
U.S. Olympic officials said Thursday that flag will be carried in by eight U.S. athletes and raised during the ceremonies.