As the lights dim on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, attention turns from podiums to people, to the stories that defined these Games and the legacies poised to outlast them. For the American Team, two icons, chosen by their teammates to carry the flag one final time, step forward not just as champions, but as symbols of two decades of excellence, perseverance, and a week that one of them will remember forever.

Leading the way for Team USA are hockey great Hilary Knight and figure skating standout Evan Bates. On Friday, it was announced that the pair will carry the American flag during the Closing Ceremony. Both are five-time Olympians, an achievement that highlights their consistency and excellence over nearly two decades. They will carry the flag into Verona Arena, an amphitheater nearly 2,000 years old, adding a historic setting to an already symbolic moment as the Olympic flame goes out.

During the Winter Olympics, Knight delivered when it mattered most. With two minutes left against Canada, she buried the game-tying goal that sparked a 2-1 gold medal win for Team USA. That clutch moment didn’t just seal victory, it cemented her as the highest-scoring American woman in Olympic history with 15 goals and 33 points.

“Being chosen to represent the United States on the world stage is a tremendous honor,” Knight said.

“It’s a moment that reflects far more than one individual. It represents my teammates, my family, and everyone across the country who believes in the power of sport. The Olympic Winter Games remind us how sport can unite and inspire, and I’m incredibly proud to carry that spirit forward as a Closing Ceremony flag bearer.”

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Knight’s heroics added another chapter to her incredible journey. The gold in Milan brought her fifth Olympic medal, making her Team USA’s all-time leader in women’s goals and points. Starting with silver in Vancouver 2010, she’s medaled in every Games since, now tied for second in total Winter Olympic medals by an American woman. She also joins a rare list of ice hockey players to carry the U.S. flag, alongside Clarence Abel, Cammi Granato, and Julie Chu.

Evan Bates had his own golden run. The veteran figure skater claimed gold in the team event and silver in ice dance with his wife and partner, Madison Chock. In less than a week, he competed four times and tied the record for the most Olympic medals by a U.S. figure skater.

“I’m deeply grateful to be selected as flag bearer and to represent both the United States and the sport of figure skating in this way,” said Bates. “To share this honor with Hilary makes it even more meaningful. My experience at the Milano Cortina Games has truly been incredible in so many ways, and I’m filled with appreciation for everyone who helped make it possible.”

Bates also became the first American figure skater to compete in five Olympic Winter Games, raising his career total to three medals. Along with his back-to-back team golds from Beijing 2022 and Milan 2026, he now sits tied for sixth among men in all-time Winter Olympic medals. He’s the first U.S. figure skater to carry the American flag since Scott Hamilton in 1980, following both Hamilton and Tim Wood, who did the same in 1968.

“Congratulations to our Closing Ceremony flag bearers, Hilary Knight and Evan Bates, who truly embody the pride, resilience and unity of Team USA,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland.

“Milano Cortina 2026 has delivered unforgettable performances and historic achievements, and both Hilary and Evan—whose remarkable careers and dedication span many years at the highest levels of their sports—have played an important role in shaping the spirit of these Olympic Winter Games. We are honored to have them lead Team USA into the Closing Ceremony as we celebrate an extraordinary Olympic journey.”

Now, as flag bearers for Team USA, Knight and Bates join a select few who’ve carried that honor. It’s a fitting tribute for two athletes who’ve spent their careers chasing excellence and found it on the world’s brightest stage.

Looking Back at the Legends Who Led Team USA at the Winter Olympics

Over the years, this honor has gone to some of the biggest names in American sports. Team USA flag bearers at the Winter Games are typically athletes with multiple Olympic appearances, medalists or history-makers in their sport, and respected locker-room leaders selected by a vote of fellow athletes.

Winter flag bearers include Elana Meyers Taylor in bobsled at the Beijing 2022 Closing Ceremony, a multi-medalist and one of the most decorated U.S. bobsledders. Jessie Diggins carried the flag at the PyeongChang 2018 Closing Ceremony after winning the first U.S. Olympic gold in cross-country skiing.

Hockey captains like Cammi Granato in Nagano 1998 and Julie Chu in Sochi 2014 were chosen as standards of consistency, leadership, and longevity in women’s hockey. These choices show a clear pattern: long-serving stars who have changed the standard for their sport and embodied Team USA over multiple cycles.

At Milano Cortina 2026, Knight and Bates are the first pair to share the honor of leading Team USA into a Winter Olympic Closing Ceremony, creating a new chapter in that flag-bearer tradition. Seeing these two champions lead Team USA will be a moment American fans will remember for a long time. What do you think?