Taiwanese weightlifter Hsu Shu-ching carried the flag on behalf of her teammates at the Olympics closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night, local time.
It was a fitting choice to have Hsu carry the flag since she was the only Taiwanese athlete to win a gold at this year’s games.
Hsu came in first place in the women’s 53kg event. She lifted 100kg in the snatch and 112kg in the clean and jerk. She was awarded the gold medal after Chinese weightlifter Li Yajun was disqualified for failing to complete the clean and jerk portion of the event.
Hsu could also become the first Taiwanese athlete to have two Olympic golds to her name. She won a silver medal at the Olympics in London, but could be awarded the gold after the gold medal winner from that year -- Kazakh lifter Zulfiya Chinshanlo -- later failed a doping test from 2012. The International Olympic Committee has yet to rule on that case.
Taiwanese athletes, competing under the team name Chinese Taipei, also picked up two other medals in Rio, for a total of three. That ranks the team 50th in the world. Taiwan’s women’s archery team won a bronze medal, marking a comeback 12 years after Taiwan’s last archery medal. The other medal, a bronze, went to Kuo Hsin-chun, competing in the women’s weightlifting 58 kg group.
Weightlifter Hsu Shu-ching said she was honored to be the flag carrier at this year’s closing ceremony. She was also delighted to be there for the event, since she had never before attended either an Olympic opening or closing ceremony.