TURIN, Italy (AP) _ Speedskater Joey Cheek was elected by the
U.S. team to carry the American flag during the closing ceremony of
the Winter Olympics on Sunday night.
Cheek has won two medals at the Turin Games _ gold in the 500
metres and silver in the 1,000.
``I feel like I'm not really worthy,'' he said. ``It's a
wonderful honour and I'm thrilled that it happened.''
Canadian singer Avril Lavigne will perform in an eight-minute
production designed to celebrate Canada and its hosting of the 2010
Winter Games in Vancouver. Other performers include opera singer
Andrea Bocelli, and Ricky Martin.
The closing ceremony's theme relies heavily on carnival life, as
seen through the films of Federico Fellini. Italian Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi is scheduled to attend. His press office said
Thursday that Berlusconi may be accompanied by Russian president
Vladimir Putin.
