Luger Erin Hamlin is speaking out about the toss-coin controversy that made her the flag carrier at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony over Shani Davis, one of just few black athletes in team USA.
The 31-year-old was chosen in a tie-breaking coin toss with Shani Davis, who says he should have been chosen to carry the Stars and Stripes in Pyeongchang – calling the choosing method ‘dishonorable’, hinting at racial bias, and deciding to skip the opening ceremony altogether.
But Hamlin, a four-time Olympian and winner of a luge bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi games, says she did not let Davis’ inflammatory statements affect her excitement as she lead the American athletes on Friday.
Luger Erin Hamlin is speaking out about the toss-coin controversy that made her the flag carrier at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony over Shani Davis. She told ABC News she ‘had nothing to do’ with how the flag carrier was chosen
Hamlin added: ‘I actually didn’t know any of the details, so I’m really not even paying too much attention to it’
Erin Hamlin carries the flag of the United States during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang
United States’ athletes Erin Hamlin, left, and Shani Davis. Davis blasted the selection of luge athlete Hamlin as the U.S. flagbearer for the opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Games
In an angry tweet (left) at 1.36am on Thursday, Davis, took a shot at Team USA over their ‘dishonorable’ decision to toss a coin to decide the flag bearer. He tweeted again Friday (right), in what appears to be another a thinly veiled jibe about representing the ‘most diverse country in the world’ after Team USA was criticized for its lack of diversity
‘Just getting that far was an amazing thing and I think it’s too bad that there is that much disappointment around not getting it but I had no part in it,’ Hamlin told Reuters on Saturday.
‘I had no control in it but I was just honored that there were athletes that felt I deserved that. I just was living in the moment, enjoying it. I just hope I represented my team mates well. I don’t think there’s a single athlete that would turn that down.’
In an earlier interview with ABC News, Hamlin echoed the sentiment, saying she ‘had nothing to do’ with how the flag carrier was chosen.
Hamlin said before the opening ceremony: ‘I actually didn’t know any of the details, so I’m really not even paying too much attention to it.
‘It has nothing to do with me aside from the fact that I am the flag bearer and I’m going to enjoy the moment and represent my teammates and my country as well as I can.’
Hamlin beamed a broad smile as she led out the athletes competing at the games in South Korea to the accompaniment of ‘Gangnam Style’.
Davis, 35, a five-time Olympian who has won two gold medals and two silver medals, lost after a vote among sports federations represented at the games ended in a draw.
With ‘Gangnam Style’ blaring out across the stadium, the luger beamed a huge smile as she waved the Stars and Stripes
American competitors – minus Shani Davis – parading at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony
Hamlin is a four-time Olympian and winner of a luge bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi games
Hamlin said it is a ‘big privilege to represent Team USA’ at the games has already announced this will be her last Olympics as she is retiring immediately after
Hamlin is the first American to medal in luge singles and a winner of 23 World Cup medal
Hamlin had a big grin as she led her team, many of whom had their cellphones in their hands, videoing the event, into the stadium
A U.S. speed skating spokesman said Davis had not originally planned to march in the parade of nations later on Friday, but would have made an exception if he had been chosen as flag-bearer.
‘Shani won’t march in the parade. It was never part of his plans. He is fully focused on his first race and is concentrating on that,’ the spokesman said.
In an angry tweet, Davis, took a shot at Hamlin, the holder of a single bronze medal.
‘I am an American and when I won the 1000m in 2010 I became the first American to 2-peat in that event,’ Davis wrote on Twitter in the early hours of Thursday.
Hamlin has since tweeted, saying that she is ‘beyond grateful’ to be able to lead Team USA into the stadium
He then slammed Team USA for ‘dishonorably’ tossing a coin to decide who would have the honor of carrying the flag.
‘No problem. I can wait until 2022,’ he added before using the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth2018.’
The reaction has not gone down well with fans who dubbed Davis a ‘baby’, ‘spoiled’ and said his reaction was a case of ‘sour grapes’.
He tweeted again on Friday, in what appeared to be another a thinly veiled jibe at Team USA who have already faced criticism over the lack of diversity in their 2018 Winter team.
‘It has been such an honor to have represented the greatest, most diverse country in the world at the last five Winter Games during the same month as #blackhistorymonth #goTeamUSA.
‘Watch ‘Origins of Black History Month’.’
The US is not the most diverse country in the world. In fact it doesn’t even break the top 20, according to Pew Research.
The athlete’s mother Cherie Davis, a controversial figure renowned for her fierce, relentless defense of her son if she believes he is in any way under attack, claimed she wasn’t aware of the furor about the choice of flagbearer until Thursday.
Davis was not among the dozens of American athletes that marched into the stadium for the ceremony on Friday
Gold medal winner Lindsey Vonn, an alpine skier, enters the stadium with her arms raised high for the Opening Ceremony
When asked about her son’s angry tweet, she said: ‘I know something about a coin toss, he told me last night.
‘I don’t know anything else. Is that all?’
Davis, a long track speed skater, is set to compete in the men’s 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m. His first event will be the 1,500m on Tuesday.
Hamlin, 31, the first American to medal in luge singles and a winner of 23 World Cup medal, has already announced this will be her last Olympics as she is retiring immediately after these games. Her first event in the women’s luge today.
In a statement she said she was ‘honored and excited’ to be named flag-bearer adding ‘this is something totally different’.
‘It’s something that is because of that hard work. People acknowledge that and respect that. It’s a big privilege to represent Team USA.’
The American team has 11 Asian American athletes and 10 black athletes members, a ratio that is far lower than the number of minority athletes the team sends to the Summer Games.
However, the team does have three openly gay athletes competing this year; freestyle skiier Gus Kenworthy, figure skater Adam Rippon and speed skater Brittany Bowe.
They made history at the Opening Ceremony as the first openly gay athlete marched with Team USA for the first time in the history of the Winter Games.
USA’s snowboard athlete Shaun White joined Gus Kenworthy as his country’s delegation parades during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games
The two-time Olympic gold winner then posed for a selfie with other athletes during the ceremony
Over the past six years the U.S. Olympic Committee has made concerted efforts to promote diversity among its team members.
In 2012, a committee was formed to improve diversity and Jason Thompson was hired as director of diversity and inclusion.
Hamlin did not address the controversy but told USA Today: ‘Winning a medal is the effort you put in and the time and the work and sacrifice to succeed and achieve something. That’s all on me. That’s something I’ve done.
‘I think they’re going to be really glad that they made that decision.
‘They’re really pumped. I’m sure my brothers will be. We’ve grown up watching the Olympics and we’re always like, ‘Who’s going to be carrying the flag?’ And to actually be that person is insane.’
Hamlin’s teammates were thrilled by the news, both because of what it will mean for her and what it means for the niche sport of luge.
‘I was so happy for her,’ U.S. doubles Olympian Jayson Terdiman said.
‘It’s one of the coolest things. I tell you what, I can’t wait. I couldn’t wait before, but now I can’t wait even more. Not just does Erin get to hold that flag, but USA Luge gets to hold that flag. It’s so cool. It’s a great honor for our small sport.’
Hamlin led the American team at the grand opening ceremony for the 2018 Winter Olympic in Pyeongchang which kicked off on Friday with a spectacular display featuring child performers, huge puppets, dazzling light displays and thousands of dancers in a celebration of Korean unity.
Inside the area 30,000 people, including a 200-strong North Korean cheerleading squad, watched the display in 26F temperatures, and were encouraged to bang drums given to them in an extreme weather kit to keep warm.