Rose Parade Chooses 2 Gold Medalists as Grand Marshals

Amid much pomp and little circumstance, Rose Parade officials Wednesday announced that Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis and Shannon Miller will host the 1997 procession.

When track star Lewis and gymnast Miller stepped forward from behind a curtain to address a small crowd at the Tournament of Roses headquarters in Pasadena, one spectator whispered disappointedly, “Oh, I thought she would at least do a couple of cartwheels.”

Alas, Miller, who defied gravity and became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal on the balance beam, will remain in her assigned vehicle for the 108th Rose Parade, officials said.

And, no, Lewis will not run circles around the colorful flower-bedecked floats.

Have they practiced waving? Not yet. But they will.

Dressed in a gray, double-breasted suit, Lewis towered over the petite Miller, clad in a brown pinstriped pants suit, as they stood together.

Miller, 19, a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. women’s gymnastics team, said the parade would be another highlight of her career.

Lewis, 35, who won his fourth consecutive Olympic long jump gold medal in the Atlanta Games, followed Miller in addressing the audience.

“I’ll play anchor leg today,” he quipped, referring to his thwarted attempt to compete on a U.S. relay team in Atlanta.

“We all have shining moments,” said Lewis, who set or helped set 10 world track records. “I’ve had the opportunity to experience them in many cases in front of the world. This is a moment we can share together. It’s part of our community.”

Tournament of Roses President William S. Johnstone Jr. decided first upon the parade’s theme, “Life’s Shining Moments,” and then the athletes: Lewis, who lives in Houston, and Miller, a freshman at the University of Oklahoma.

The athletes will join an elite set of former grand marshals that includes Dwight D. Eisenhower, Walt Disney, Frank Sinatra, the Rev. Billy Graham, and last year’s grand marshal, Kermit the Frog.

Before releasing the names of the next grand marshals, Johnstone tossed out several clues, tantalizing those gathered in the rose garden.

Hint: There is more than one grand marshal.

Hint: They are award-winners and media personalities, though not actors or actresses.

Hint: They are animate (as opposed to Kermit).

When the crowd remained silent, mulling over these clues, Johnstone delightedly spilled his secret.

“Great choice, Bill,” one spectator shouted.