Dennis Schröder and Anna-Maria Wagner carry the German flag
The German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) allows online voting to determine who will carry the German flag at the Olympic Games opening ceremony. In the end, Basketballer Dennis Schröder and Judoka Anna-Maria Wagner prevailed against strong competition.
Basketball World Champion Dennis Schröder and Judo World Champion Anna-Maria Wagner will carry the German flag at the Olympic Games opening ceremony on the Seine in Paris. The DOSB announced this on Tuesday. Originally, the announcement was planned for Wednesday at the German House in Paris, but both names had already leaked out beforehand. The DOSB reacted to this.
"It's a huge honor for me to carry the flag," Schröder said. "I believe this will make a statement in Germany as the first dark-skinned person to do so. I want to present Germany as cool as possible. It's a huge event for all of us, and for me and my family as well."
Schröder (30) is the second basketball player after Dirk Nowitzki in 2008 to receive this honor. He beat out Olympic champions Alexander Zverev (tennis) and Christian Reitz (shooting) in the voting. Wagner (28) is the first judoka to lead a German Olympic team. She was considered an outsider in the fan and athlete voting against footballer Alexandra Popp and dressage Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl.
Opening ceremony first not held in a stadium
Schröder and Wagner are the second German flag-carrying duo at the Summer Games. They follow Laura Ludwig (beach volleyball) and Patrick Hausding (diving), who carried the flag into the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo in 2021. Schröder and Wagner will be part of Team D in the parade on the Seine. More than 300,000 spectators are expected on the tribunes along the riverbank and on the bridges of the river. For the first time, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium.
"It was great to see how much the athletes have fought for their vote and how they have mobilized the public. We have never had such a large response," DOSB President Thomas Weikert said. "All six candidates deserved the vote. For Anna-Maria and Dennis, it will be a very special moment to lead Team Germany at this unique opening ceremony."
Wagner won with a total of 80.01 points from the fan and athlete votes, ahead of Popp (74.01) and von Bredow-Werndl (45.98). Schröder (103.54) clearly beat Zverev (57.57) and Reitz (38.89). Over 500,000 votes were cast in the public vote, compared to 189,000 before Tokyo.
At the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, Basketball World Champion Dennis Schröder and Judo World Champion Anna-Maria Wagner will carry the German flag, a honor previously held by Dirk Nowitzki in 2008 for basketball. The DOSB revealed this on Tuesday, as Schröder and Wagner emerged victorious in an online vote against strong competition.
In the voting process, Schröder outranked Olympic champions such as tennis player Alexander Zverev and shooter Christian Reitz, while Wagner became the first judoka to lead a German Olympic team, overcoming the strong contenders like footballer Alexandra Popp and dressage Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl.
By carrying the flag, Schröder continues the tradition set by other German athletes, adding his name to the list that includes Laura Ludwig and Patrick Hausding who carried the flag in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo earlier this year.
