Michael Phelps Urged To Give Up Position As Olympic Flag Bearer

Leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, swimmer Michael Phelps was elected by his teammates to be the flag bearer during the event’s highly anticipated Opening Ceremony. As the most decorated athlete in Olympic history, Phelps seemed to many like an obvious choice to carry Old Glory.

“I’m honored to be chosen, proud to represent the U.S., and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,” Phelps said.

.@MichaelPhelps is HONORED to be #TeamUSA‘s flag bearer in the #Rio2016 Opening Ceremony ?❗️

Just 24 hours away! ⏰https://t.co/afA85LUPgf

— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) August 5, 2016

Despite being the pick of his fellow teammates, some are calling on Phelps to give up the honor and instead allow the runner-up to carry the flag.

Ibtihaj Muhammad, an African American Muslim woman famous for wearing her hijab during her fencing matches, came in a close second behind Phelps as the choice for flag bearer. Muhammad has also been outspoken against Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. “When you incite hateful speech and rhetoric like that, the people who say it never think about the repercussions and how that affects Muslims,” she told Time.

Multiple news outlets have run pieces from those calling on Phelps to withdraw from the position.

W. Kamau Bell, in op-ed for CNN addressed to Phelps, argued Muhammad, as a Muslim, would be a better choice than Phelps, a “tall, successful, rich white guy.”

“Muhammad carrying the flag would be much bigger than your one moment,” Bell writes. “It would be a symbol for our country in this moment when we are mostly known for one of the most contentious, controversial, scandal-ridden, hateful, xenophobic, jingoistic, and just generally unlikeable presidential elections in recent memory. This is at a time when we could use some more symbols of unity and togetherness.”

“Your stepping back will allow this moment to become something bigger than just another opening ceremony. No offense, but right now America has enough tall, successful, rich white guys hogging the spotlight trying to make America great … again,” he added.

Bell concluded that Phelps could win more medals, but this decision was far more important: “Again, thank you again for stepping aside for Ibtihaj Muhammad. During these Olympics, you can win more medals to add to your all-time winning number of medals. But no medal will compare to making room for this.”

The Guardian, too, published a piece arguing Muhammad would have been a far superior choice than Phelps.

“In any other Olympics, in any other year, Phelps would have been the perfect choice … But this is not any other Olympics in any other year. This is an Olympics where the world needs to see what the US truly stands for. Is it the country of which Trump speaks, one terrified of a veil on a woman’s head? Or is it the land where any child believes they can be something big regardless of race, class or religion?”

“The US athletes made a safe choice in Phelps as their flag bearer. An appropriate choice. Only this time, for this Olympics, they didn’t make the best choice. An opportunity was lost,” the piece concluded.

Others argued for Muhammad as the flag bearer before the vote even took place. “Team USA Should Pick Ibtihaj Muhammad as Flagbearer in Rio,” wrote Time. “…choosing her as a flag bearer is a chance to signal something even greater about what America stands for. It would be a win for all Americans––and Team USA’s first of the 2016 Olympic Games.”

Despite the cries from those outside the Olympics for Phelps to give up the position, his fellow teammates stand by their choice. “It feels so right,” Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin said, “to have the most decorated Olympian of all time being our flag bearer and leading us. And outside of the pool someone who has overcome so much internally and externally and shared that with everyone.”

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