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Who's carrying Old Glory tonight? Georgian-American Khatuna Lorig, that's who.

August 24, 2008 9:01 AM

By Jo Ling Kent, ABC News Beijing Bureau

Hailing from the great melting pot of immigrants, Team USA cares about major events happening in the world today and hasn't been shy about making a statement about them in Beijing. Bookended by Sudanese-American and Georgian-American flag bearers at the opening and closing ceremonies, this Olympics is clearly about more than just sports for Americans.

Just 13 months after he became an American citizen, Sudanese-American Lopez Lomong, a middle distance runner and a former lost boy of Sudan's civil war, marched into the opening ceremonies waving the Stars and Stripes.

Tonight, three-time Olympian archer originally from the Republic of Georgia, Khatuna Lorig will lead her teammates out.

Just as they did for Lomong, captains from U.S. sports team met in the Athlete's Village on Friday and voted for the Tblisi-born archer to carry the flag.

"Being named the U.S. flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony is almost like winning a gold medal, maybe even better," Lorig said in a statement. "I thought I could win a gold medal in competition, but I never thought I'd have this opportunity. I am truly, truly so proud to be an American citizen and part of the U.S. Olympic Team."

Lorig is one of nine foreign-born athletes competing for the United States and one of a few athletes ever to have represented three different countries in four Olympics.

In the 1992 Barcelona Games, Lorig competed for the Unified Team of former Soviet republics, for whom she won the bronze medal in the team competition.  In 1996 and 2000, she represented her home country of Georgia – the country, not the state.

Following Sydney in 2000, Lorig immigrated to the United States. She didn't obtain her American citizen in time to represent Team USA and didn't make the Georgian team. As a result, Lorig sat out of the 2004 Athens games.  By the time the 2008 Olympic trials rolled around, Lorig was a naturalized American citizen and made Team USA.

Here in Beijing, Lorig – the 26th seed -  advanced to the quarterfinals of the women's archery individual elimination round by upsetting the No. 10 seed Ana Maria Rendon of Columbia. She went on to lose to Korean world record holder Yun Ok-Hee, who eventually won the bronze medal.

Beijing is not the last time Lorig will represent the United States. She and her husband, fellow archer Archil Onashvili, hope to compete together at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

"I wouldn't want to compete for any other country," she said.

August 24, 2008 in Jo Ling Kent | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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