Olympian Shani Davis Rips U.S. Over Flag-Bearer Coin Toss

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Olympic champion speedskater Shani Davis ripped into U.S. officials after he lost out on a bid to lead the U.S. team at the Opening Ceremonies.

On Thursday, Davis, who trains at the Robert Crown Center in Evanston, tweeted that U.S. Olympic officials "dishonorably tossed a coin" to decide which team member would carry the American flag at the Games, opening in South Korea on Friday.

Davis, an African-American, added that he can wait until the next games in 2022 and then included the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth2018.

The honor went to luge veteran Erin Hamlin. Hamlin and Davis were among eight nominees for the flag bearer role, and the vote between them was deadlocked, according to published reports.

Davis is a five-time Olympian with two gold and two silver medals.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual event.