Luge athlete Mark Grimmette to carry U.S. flag at opening ceremony

Luge athlete and five-time Olympian Mark Grimmette of Muskegon, Mich., has been chosen to carry the U.S. flag into the Olympic opening ceremony Friday at BC Place.

The honor is traditionally reserved for someone who has persevered through hardship or shown extreme dedication, and that applies to Grimmette in a sport that doesn’t usually bring athletes great endorsement contracts or fame. Grimmette, 39, is the all-time leader in medals among American lugers with 65, and he won a bronze medal at the 1998 Games and a silver at Salt Lake City in 2002, both in men’s doubles.

Grimmette, who was chosen by a vote of other U.S. Olympians, will discuss his selection Thursday at a news conference.

-- Helene Elliott Burke won’t march in ceremony

Brian Burke, general manager of the U.S. men’s hockey team, has decided not to march in the opening ceremony in the wake of his son’s death in a car accident last Friday.

Burke had planned to march into BC Place with the U.S. delegation but canceled his plans, a spokesman for USA Hockey confirmed.

Burke’s decision will leave Kings defenseman Jack Johnson as the only men’s hockey team member who plans to participate in the opening ceremony. The NHL season continues through Sunday, making it impossible for most players to march here. The men’s tournament starts Tuesday.

The U.S. women’s team plans to march.

-- Helene Elliott Marsicano looks to regain pace

By the end of last season, Trevor Marsicano, then 19, was the hot new face in world long-track speedskating.

He won medals in the final four 1,500-meter races -- two silvers, two bronzes -- on the World Cup circuit. He won gold (1,000), silver (1,500) and bronze (5,000) medals in the World Single Distance Championships at the 2010 Olympic Oval, the most medals for any U.S. skater at that meet.

This season, in nine World Cup races at 1,000 and 1,500 meters, Marsicano’s best finish is seventh.

Marsicano, of Ballston, Spa, N.Y., feels those results have little significance when it comes to predicting his medal chances, which begin with Saturday’s 5,000.

“This is just the way I’m going to progress,” he said. “I’m not like Shani Davis, where I am going to be on top the whole time. I’m going to start lower and work my way up.”

-- Philip Hersh