Delta Air Lines honored Team USA members on Wednesday at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport before they departed for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
The airline provided T-shirts and water bottles at the gate where athletes from various sports, including archery, fencing, and basketball, were preparing to leave. Signs displayed messages like “Good Luck Team USA!” and “A Merci Beaucoup From Us to You.”
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, is handling the travel arrangements for all U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Mary Theisen-Lappen, a weightlifter making her Olympic debut, was among the athletes recognized.
“I’m excited,” she shared. “I’m nervous.”
Gillian Tran, 17, from Tallahassee, Florida, was thrilled to discover she would be on the same flight as the athletes when she arrived at the gate. Her family had won tickets to the Paris Games in a lottery two years ago, and she took photos with some of the athletes.
“I’m also excited to go to the Olympics because I did a history fair project about the 1936 Olympics two years ago,” she added.
The opening ceremony for the Games is scheduled for July 26.
