The International Olympic Committee agreed to raise the tattered flag from the World Trade Center next to the Olympic flame at Rice-Eccles Stadium after rejecting the U.S. Olympic Committee’s request to have five athletes and an official carry the flag that was recovered after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Mitt Romney, head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee said, “we respectfully disagree with the IOC on this decision”.
IOC Director General Francois Carrard said, “we considered this the highest honour of respect – the hoisting of the ground zero flag as the official U.S. flag”.
The IOC told USOC president Sandy Baldwin that many nations had suffered and that allowing members of the American team to carry the flag during the opening ceremony would not be proper. Baldwin told the IOC that position was “clearly understandable”.
American IOC member Anita DeFrantz said, “every country in the IOC has issues. As Americans we have to understand it’s a world event and also that we are a guest even though we are the host nation. This way, with the flag being raised, we serve both goals”.
The flag will probably be lowered after the ceremony because of its delicate condition.
Carrard said, “strict rules govern the opening ceremony. In general, athletes are prohibited from any political displays during the march and are required to parade under the flag of each delegation”.
