WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue track & field alumna Kara (Patterson) Winger was the United States flag bearer for Team USA in the Closing Ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, on August 8.
Winger was selected to lead the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team into the Closing Ceremony following a vote among Team USA's athletes.
"It's an incredible honor to be selected by my fellow Team USA athletes to be our flag bearer," Winger said to TeamUSA.org. "There's no better way to conclude my career as an Olympic athlete than to lead the U.S. team into the Closing Ceremony. On behalf of Team USA, we want to thank the Tokyo Organizing Committee, the people of Tokyo and the country of Japan for hosting these Olympic Games and bringing the world back together again through sport."
The distinct honor came after Winger competed at her fourth Olympics and was named a team captain for the United States Track & Field Team at the Games. A 2009 Purdue graduate, Winger is the first female athlete in Purdue history and second overall to participate in four Olympic Games.
At this year's Olympics, Winger was eighth in Group A and 17th overall in the javelin. She recorded a throw of 59.71m on August 3.
Winger owns the Purdue (61.56m in 2008) and had the American (66.67m in 2010) record in the javelin. She is an eight-time USATF national champion and has competed at five IAAF World Championships. At the NCAA Championships, Winger won silver in the javelin in 2009 and was fifth in 2008, and she is a two-time Big Ten Outdoor Athlete of the Year. She won Big Ten titles in the javelin in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
Winger was one of five total Purdue track & field alumni to compete at the Olympics. They were part of a department-record 10 total current, past or future Boilermakers to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
On August 2, Devynne Charlton placed sixth in the women's 100-meter hurdles final. The first current or former member of the Purdue women's track & field program to run in an Olympic final, Charlton posted a time of 12.74 seconds in the final while running for The Bahamas.
Boilermaker Alumnus and current volunteer assistant coach Chukwuebuka Enekwechi was 12th overall in the men's shot put final. The 2016 Purdue graduate recorded a throw of 19.74 meters for Nigeria on his third and final attempt on August 5.
Making her Olympics debut, Camille Buscomb placed 14th in her heat and 29th overall in the 5,000m in 15:24.39 on July 30. A Boilermaker from 2009-11, Buscomb was 19th in the 10,000, with a time of 32:10.49, on August 7, for New Zealand.
2021 Purdue graduate Samson Colebrooke ran in the 100m and earned a time of 10.33 in the heats on July 31. Competing for The Bahamas, Colebrooke was seventh in his heat and 44th overall in his first career Olympics appearance.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Winger was selected to lead the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team into the Closing Ceremony following a vote among Team USA's athletes.
"It's an incredible honor to be selected by my fellow Team USA athletes to be our flag bearer," Winger said to TeamUSA.org. "There's no better way to conclude my career as an Olympic athlete than to lead the U.S. team into the Closing Ceremony. On behalf of Team USA, we want to thank the Tokyo Organizing Committee, the people of Tokyo and the country of Japan for hosting these Olympic Games and bringing the world back together again through sport."
Thank you again to my @usatf and @teamusa teammates for this tremendous, uplifting experience. And thank you, Tokyo!! pic.twitter.com/pnatlRZku2
— Kara Winger (@karathrowsjav) August 8, 2021
The distinct honor came after Winger competed at her fourth Olympics and was named a team captain for the United States Track & Field Team at the Games. A 2009 Purdue graduate, Winger is the first female athlete in Purdue history and second overall to participate in four Olympic Games.
At this year's Olympics, Winger was eighth in Group A and 17th overall in the javelin. She recorded a throw of 59.71m on August 3.
Winger owns the Purdue (61.56m in 2008) and had the American (66.67m in 2010) record in the javelin. She is an eight-time USATF national champion and has competed at five IAAF World Championships. At the NCAA Championships, Winger won silver in the javelin in 2009 and was fifth in 2008, and she is a two-time Big Ten Outdoor Athlete of the Year. She won Big Ten titles in the javelin in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
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Winger was one of five total Purdue track & field alumni to compete at the Olympics. They were part of a department-record 10 total current, past or future Boilermakers to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
On August 2, Devynne Charlton placed sixth in the women's 100-meter hurdles final. The first current or former member of the Purdue women's track & field program to run in an Olympic final, Charlton posted a time of 12.74 seconds in the final while running for The Bahamas.
Boilermaker Alumnus and current volunteer assistant coach Chukwuebuka Enekwechi was 12th overall in the men's shot put final. The 2016 Purdue graduate recorded a throw of 19.74 meters for Nigeria on his third and final attempt on August 5.
Making her Olympics debut, Camille Buscomb placed 14th in her heat and 29th overall in the 5,000m in 15:24.39 on July 30. A Boilermaker from 2009-11, Buscomb was 19th in the 10,000, with a time of 32:10.49, on August 7, for New Zealand.
2021 Purdue graduate Samson Colebrooke ran in the 100m and earned a time of 10.33 in the heats on July 31. Competing for The Bahamas, Colebrooke was seventh in his heat and 44th overall in his first career Olympics appearance.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.