Olympia in Paris - Statement: Schröder and Wagner carry the flag in Paris
Dennis Schröder took the joyful message outwardly calmly, Anna-Maria Wagner came completely overwhelmed and directly shed tears. The German basketball star and two-time Judo World Champion will lead the German delegation at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris as flag bearers.
"It's a huge honor for me to carry the flag. I believe this will also make a statement in Germany, being the first dark-skinned person to do so," Schröder said.
On the way from London to Lille, where the basketball preliminaries take place, the team captain was handed a mini flag in black, red, and gold. Schröder had already waved his phone like a flag among the loud cheers of his teammates earlier.
Both without Olympic Gold
The NBA professional and the Judoka made it through the fan vote and the German Olympic team and will take on the responsibility at the ceremony on Friday (19.30 hours). This was confirmed by the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB). Initially, the "FAZ" reported on the vote for Schröder.
The DOSB published a video in the afternoon showing how the two flag bearers received the news. Wagner's victory among the women was particularly surprising. As a favorite, DFB footballer Alexandra Popp was expected to win. "I didn't even count on it because the competition was very, very strong. It's a nice appreciation for the last few years, for the whole life, what sport has given me," said the Judoka.
Neither Schröder (30) nor Wagner (28) have won Olympic gold before. The toughest opponent for basketball star Schröder was tennis pro Alexander Zverev, who won gold in the singles in Tokyo in 2021.
"We want to present Germany as cool as possible"
The ceremony will take place for the first time not in a stadium, but on boats on the Seine. The German team will be on Ship Number Seven and accompanied by tens of thousands of fans on the banks as they pass by the major landmarks of the capital.
"I'm of course happy that my team is there, that we're trying to present Germany as cool as possible at the opening ceremony, of course with all the athletes from TeamD who can celebrate with us," Schröder said, for whose team the opening ceremony also brings logistical challenges.
The team has to return to Lille late at night, and the first match against Japan is already scheduled for Saturday at 13.30 hours. This is not an ideal preparation.
Zverev clearly defeated in the voting
Behind Schröder, who set himself apart from both ballots with 103.54 points, were tennis pro Zverev (57.57) and decathlete Christian Reitz (38.89) among the men. Among the women, behind Wagner (80.01), footballer Popp (74.01) and equestrian Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (45.98) finished. Over 500,000 valid votes were cast in the public vote, compared to around 189,000 votes in Tokyo three years ago.
Schröder is now in a line with LeBron James, who will carry the US flag on Friday, and Dirk Nowitzki, who was the first basketball player to become the German flag bearer in Beijing in 2008. The topic of flag bearer at the Olympics has been of great importance to Schröder for months. Only a few weeks after the completely unexpected title in Manila 2023, he openly and honestly declared: "I have to carry the flag! When not now, then when?" So it came to be.
Golden car, golden shoes
In Germany, Schröder was controversial for a long time, especially due to his frequently provocative behavior. A golden car and golden shoes symbolically represent the man who gifted his colleagues Rolex watches before the Olympic summer and ensured that the national team flew business class. In the NBA, major successes remained elusive, but he led the national team to EM bronze and WM title.
At the WM, Schröder was voted the most valuable player of the tournament. In the past few days, Schröder actively campaigned for votes through his social media channels. Over four million people follow him on Instagram alone. The basketball player was at the forefront of the voting both among fans and the Olympic team. Wagner received the most votes from the fans.
Wagner earns Olympic ticket with WM title
For Wagner, this is the second Olympic participation. In 2021 in Tokyo, the Ravensburger athlete won bronze in the individual and team events. As a two-time world champion in the 78 kg weight class, Wagner was one of the title contenders in Paris. However, it was long uncertain whether Wagner would even be at the Olympics. The athlete, who trains in Cologne, has been among the absolute world elite for years and is currently second in the world rankings.
However, Alina Böhm presents a very strong domestic competitor. Since only one German athlete is allowed to compete in each weight class at the Olympics, Wagner secured her ticket with her second WM title in Abu Dhabi in May. Her competition in Paris takes place on August 1st.
Respect for Openness
Wagner received a lot of respect for speaking openly about mental problems after the Olympics in Tokyo. "That year, I had essentially achieved everything that could be achieved with the world championship title. Then the question was: Okay, and now? How does it go on from here? I had lost the joy of judo, could no longer motivate myself for the sport," she reported later.
Wagner fought her way back and wants to crown this now with another medal in Paris. "In general, the memories of Tokyo are very beautiful. I hope that the memories will repeat themselves and I can add another one in Paris." After that, the soldier in sports wants to focus more on her professional future and continue her studies in hotel and tourism management.
- Dennis Schröder expressed his joy calmly after learning he would be one of Germany's flag bearers at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
- Lille, the city where the basketball preliminaries are taking place, became a significant stop for the German delegation on their way to Paris.
- Takin place on boats along the Seine, the opening ceremony in Paris will be a unique spectacle with tens of thousands of fans lining the banks.
- Both Schröder and Wagner have never won Olympic gold before, but they were chosen as flag bearers based on a fan vote and confirmation from the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB).
- Prior to Schröder, Dirk Nowitzki was the first basketball player to carry the German flag at an Olympic opening ceremony, in Beijing in 2008.
- In Tokyo's 2021 Olympic Games, Alexander Zverev claimed the gold medal in the singles, making him a formidable competitor for Schröder in the fan vote.
- LeBron James will carry the US flag at the same opening ceremony in Paris, joining Schröder in a prestigious lineup of athletes.
- In the 2023 women's World Judo Championships, Wagner secured her spot at the Paris Olympic Games by winning the gold medal in the 78 kg weight class.
- With four million followers on Instagram, Schröder leveraged his social media reach to actively campaign for votes before the Olympic Games in Paris.
- On August 1st, Anna-Maria Wagner's competition in the Paris Olympic Games will take place, where she aims to bring home another medal.
- Alina Böhm presents a strong challenge for Wagner in the women's Judo category, as only one German athlete can compete in each weight class at the Olympics.
- Following her Olympic successes and openness about her mental health struggles, Anna-Maria Wagner now plans to focus on her professional future in hotel and tourism management.
