Do you think some US gymnasts (Shannon Miller, Shawn Johnson, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles) can be selected as torchbearers for Olympic LA 2028 opening

[Iminhanoi]

Do you think some US gymnasts (Shannon Miller, Shawn Johnson, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles) can be selected as torchbearers for Olympic LA 2028 opening ceremony?

My prediction: Shannon Miller/Shawn Johnson/Gabby Douglas/Simone Biles will be

Simone Biles even has chance to be chosen as Torch lighter, having the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony. Either her or Michael Phelps will be chosen.



In Olympic Paris 2024 opening ceremony this year, Émilie Le Pennec was one of the French athletes to participated in the Olympic torch relay. She won gold medal in Uneven Bars at Athens 2004.

 

[esta]

Do you think some US gymnasts (Shannon Miller, Shawn Johnson, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles) can be selected to carry the Olympic flame in LA 2028 opening ceremony?

My prediction: Shannon Miller, Shawn Johnson, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles will be

Simone Biles even has chance to be chosen as the last runner and have the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony. Either her or Michael Phelps will be chosen.

Surprised you didn’t mention Mary Lou and the return to Los Angeles for the Olympics lol

 

[Hatsumomo]

I think at least one of the Magnificent 7 will be part of it; they usually go for athletes from further back. However, after LA, it'll be a very long time before the USA hosts another Summer Games, so they may very well ask Simone and Katie Ledecky. The answer will depend on whether they're competing or not.

 

[irichluck21]

Ledecky has stated that she intends to compete in LA.
Biles has not made that statement. So we shall see.

IMO I think both will be competing in LA. A home Olympics is hard to pass up.

 

[Hatsumomo]

That's what I think. Usually neither of them will go to the Opening Ceremony but I think they'll make an exception to participate if they're asked.

 

[Iminhanoi]

I think at least one of the Magnificent 7 will be part of it; they usually go for athletes from further back. However, after LA, it'll be a very long time before the USA hosts another Summer Games, so they may very well ask Simone and Katie Ledecky. The answer will depend on whether they're competing or not.

Most of athletes who have lit the Olympic cauldron already retired (Marie-José Pérec, Li Ning)

 

[irichluck21]

The Olympic cauldron will absolutely be lit by Phelps.

 

[makam]

The Olympic cauldron will absolutely be lit by Phelps.

Unless someone develops a more compelling story between now and then (like if Serena Williams loses a leg and comes back to participate at the paralympics), I agree. But if Simone is actually retired, I could see having her handoff to him or being the one to bring it into the stadium (or wherever the largest crowd is if they do an outside-the-stadium cauldron).

 

[Ginger]

Couldn't they do something new, like two (retired) athletes (Phelps & Biles) litting the cauldron together? That would be spectacular, man and woman, white and black, both GOAT.
(of course, depending if Simone is retired by then)

 

[Denn]

Unless someone develops a more compelling story between now and then (like if Serena Williams loses a leg and comes back to participate at the paralympics), I agree. But if Simone is actually retired, I could see having her handoff to him or being the one to bring it into the stadium (or wherever the largest crowd is if they do an outside-the-stadium cauldron).

OMG, that was a, er, very creative scenario you thought up there!!

 

[Denn]

I am sorry, but I disagree with people: Jaycie Phelps will not be lighting that cauldron.

 

[Sasha]

Lol, that's where my brain went too.

"Why not Borden?"

 

[Iminhanoi]

Unless someone develops a more compelling story between now and then (like if Serena Williams loses a leg and comes back to participate at the paralympics), I agree. But if Simone is actually retired, I could see having her handoff to him or being the one to bring it into the stadium (or wherever the largest crowd is if they do an outside-the-stadium cauldron).

Since the 2024 Paris opening ceremony was held on Seine river. The LA opening ceremony probably will be held on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

It will be great if Shannon Miller give the flame to Michael Phelps & Simone Biles and the duo light the cauldron.

 

[MaryClare]

Do we over estimate the impact of the Mag 7? Maybe it was huge at the time, but looking at it nearly 30 years on, after 20 years of US dominance in the sport, it just doesn’t seem that impressive

 

[KorbutFan]

I’m just going to throw this out there, Steve Nunno and Peggy Liddick lighting the cauldron.

 

[Iminhanoi]

Do we over estimate the impact of the Mag 7? Maybe it was huge at the time, but looking at it nearly 30 years on, after 20 years of US dominance in the sport, it just doesn’t seem that impressive

In fact, no Chinese gymnasts be chosen to carry the torch in opening ceremony of Asian Games 2022 Hangzhou (even Zou Kai, Li Xiaopeng, Cheng Fei, Deng Linlin weren’t selected to participate in the torch relay) . Despite huge achievements of Chinese gymnast in past decade, from Olympic to Asian Games.

 

[makam]

Do we over estimate the impact of the Mag 7? Maybe it was huge at the time, but looking at it nearly 30 years on, after 20 years of US dominance in the sport, it just doesn’t seem that impressive

It was a win at home,, so that magnifies the impact.. for lots of middle age people, that is their memory of the games--well, the Kerri Strug part and those swishy warmup suits. Shannon Miller and Dominique Moceanu are still generally known, but I think you want someone instantly recognizable so people aren't going "who is that? Carly who?" Hell, I saw a clip of a lady at the Olympics gymnastics venue with her kid, looking for her seat, etc and it wasn't until the end that I realized it was Shawn.

The US has a lot of "big name" Olympians to choose from and they could even go with someone like LeBron and bring in the mainstream too. But I would also put my money on Michael Phelps being the one. He has a very recognizable face and the most golds. If he was also the oldest, it would be a slam dunk. But 20 years out from his most gold in a single Olympics is another good talking point.

Gymnastics (women's) is one of the big 3 in the us but they aren't going to call up every former gymnast to participate, unless it is for the months long relay part. (Though it would be kinda cool to have a crowd of Sport X medalists hand off the flame to a crowd of Sport Y medalists, etc.)

 

[arabiandoublefront]

I feel like the cauldron itself will be lit by Michael Phelps or the Mag 7. I would be really surprised if it was a currently competing athlete. I have no idea how they will decide on the last few torchbearers, though. There are so many great American athletes.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

Since the 2024 Paris opening ceremony was held on Seine river. The LA opening ceremony probably will be held on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

It will be great if Shannon Miller give the flame to Michael Phelps & Simone Biles and the duo light the cauldron.

It's already been planned that the opening ceremony will be in two stadiums: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium.

 

[wishfulgoddess]

Shawn Johnson, looking back at the 2028 Olympics, stated that she was originally asked to carry the torch. She declined because her seventh child was due around that time. She said she was the one who originally suggested that they ask Michael Phelps instead and everybody said what a good idea it was. She did, however, name her daughter Torchleigh Angeles, in honor of the event.