AAmid the two chaotic weeks of the US elections, First Lady Jill Biden will still lead the American delegation at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The appearance will mark the first lady’s first public appearance since her husband, President Joe Biden, 81, withdrew from re-election in the presidential race on Sunday amid growing concerns about his health and mental fitness. Rumors were circulating that Jill, 73, might withdraw or be replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, now the presumptive Democratic nominee.
But in a statement from the White House published Monday night, Biden announced the full presidential delegation that will be attending Friday’s ceremony — with Jill firmly at the top.
Led by the First Lady, the presidential delegation will include US Ambassador to France and Monaco, Denise Campbell Bauer; Senators Chris Coons of Delaware and Alex Padilla of California; and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Also present will be Casey Wasserman, president of the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games; Brian Boitano, three-time Olympic and Olympic gold medalist; and Dawn Staley, women’s basketball head coach and Olympic gold medalist.
The opening ceremony will see Jill take her place alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, alongside the Seine.
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Team USA also selected a two-time Olympic gold medalist LeBron James as the male flag bearer at the opening ceremony. The move marks the first time a men’s basketball player will carry the U.S. flag in an Olympic setting.
Meanwhile, Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, will lead the delegation at the closing ceremony on August 11.
The trip will mark Jill’s second time leading the U.S. delegation, following her efforts at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were rescheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During her next visit, Jill is expected to participate in several more Olympic events. This includes a fundraiser in Paris organized by former US ambassador to the EU Tony Gardner, Democratic National Committee assistant treasurer Lorna Johnson and other officials. Tickets range from US$500 to US$25 thousand for the event, CNN reported.
Jill was a central figure in defending her husband’s re-election bid and was quick to reassure him after his botched debate performance against Donald Trump last month.
She said very little about her husband’s departure from the presidential race. On Sunday, Jill reshared Biden’s resignation letter on social media platform with a heart emoji instead of words.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
