Olympic Games ceremony Olympic Games ceremony Olympic Games ceremonies of the Ancient Olympic Games were an integral part of these Games; the modern Olympic games have opening, closing, and medal ceremonies. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies harken back to the Ancient Games from which the Modern Olympics draw their ancestry. An example of this is the prominence of Greece in both the opening and closing ceremonies. During the 2004 Games, the medal winners received a crown of olive branches, which was a direct reference to the Ancient Games, in which the victor's prize was an olive wreath. The various elements
Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics Marial qualified for the men's marathon and had been accepted as an independent Olympian. Brooklyn Kerlin was the flag bearer of the athletes during the opening ceremony. She was chosen by her peers to represent the "makers of the Olympics". Hannah Bailes, a London 2012 Ceremonies Cast Member, who was also a volunteer, was selected to carry the Independent Olympic Athletes placard. Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics Four Independent Olympic Athletes competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, in the United Kingdom. These were athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles, and from the newly formed state