Flagbearers

[Lara]

Very happy for Simon Whitfield! Agree his silver was a highlight in Beijing.

[AragornElessar]

An excellent choice in Simon and I also cried when he crossed the line in Bejing. That and our two Equestrian medals were my favourite moments from 2008.

Funny thing though, I remember *exactly* what I was doing when Simon won in Sydney. I'd decided I needed something to do during the time it takes for the Triathlon to complete, so got one of the two decorative towels I cross stitched two bluebirds going into their bird house on to for my Mom's Christmas Present that year. I was so nervous for Simon, I needed *something* to keep me busy and that did the job.

Thankfully by the end of the run and he was in the lead, I secured the needle into the fabric and put it to the side. I know myself very well and if that had been tossed up in the air, who knows where that needle could have ended up.

[oleada]

Bulgaria's flagbearer will be Tsvetana Pironkova (tennis)

[allezfred]

Here's the latest update!

Albania - Romela Begaj (Wrestling)
Algeria - Abdelhafid Benchabla (Boxing)
Angola - Antonia de Fátima Faia (Judo)
Argentina - Luciana Aymar (Field Hockey)
Austria - Markus Rogan (Swimming)
Bahrain - Azza Al Qasmi (Shooting)
Bangladesh - Mahfizur Rahman Sagor (Swimming)
Belarus - Max Mirnyi (Tennis)
Bolivia - Claudia Balderrama (Athletics)
Brazil - Rodrigo Pessoa (Equestrian)
Brunei - Maziah Mahusin (Athletics)
Bulgaria - Tsvetana Pironkova (Tennis)
Cameroon - Annabelle Ali (Wrestling)
Canada - Simon Whitfield (Triathlon)
Chile - Denisse van Lamoen (Archery)
Colombia - Mariana Pajon (Cycling)
Costa Rica - Gabriela Trana (Athletics)
Cuba - Mijail López (Wrestling)
Cyprus - Marcos Baghdatis (Tennis)
Czech Republic - Petr Koukal (Badminton)
Democratic Republic of Congo - Ilunga Mande Zatara (Athletics)
Denmark - Kim Wraae Knudsen (Canoeing)
Dominican Republic - Gabriel Mercedes (Taekwondo)
Ecuador - César De Cesare (Canoeing)
El Salvador - Evelyn Garcia (Cycling)
Estonia - Aleksander Tammert (Athletics)
Fiji - Josateki Naulu (Judo)
France - Laura Flessel (Fencing)
Gabon - Ruddy Zang Milama (Athletics)
Greece - Alexandros Nikolaidis (Taekwondo)
Guatemala - Juan Ignacio Maegli (Sailing)
Honduras - Ronald Bennet (Athletics)
Hungary - Peter Biros (Water Polo)
India - Sushil Kumar (Wrestling)
Iran - Ali Mazaheri (Boxing)
Israel - Shahar Tzuberi (Sailing)
Italy - Valentina Vezzali (Fencing)
Japan - Saori Yoshida (Wrestling)
Kazakhstan - Nurmakhan Tinaliyev (Wrestling)
Kenya - David Rudisha (Athletics)
Republic of Korea - Yoon Kyung-Shin (Handball)
Latvia - Mārtiņš Pļaviņš (Beach Volleyball)
Liberia - Phobay Kutu-Akoi (Athletics)
Liechtenstein - Stephanie Vogt (Tennis)
Lithuania - Virgilijus Alekna (Athletics)
Malaysia - Pandelela Rinong (Diving)
Mauritius - Natacha Rigobert (Volleyball)
Mexico - Maria Espinoza (Taekwondo)
Moldova - Cristina Iovu (Weightlifting)
Monaco - Angelique Trinquier (Swimming)
Mongolia - Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Athletics)
Morocco - Wiam Dislam (Taekwondo)
Mozambique - Kurt Couto (Athletics)
Namibia - Gaby Ahrens (Shooting)
Netherlands - Dorian van Rijsselberghe (Sailing)
Panama - Irving Saladino (Athletics)
Paraguay - Benjamin Hockin (Swimming)
Peru - Gladys Tejeda (Athletics)
Philippines - Hidilyn Diaz (Weightlifting)
Poland - Agnieszka Radwanska (Tennis)
Portugal - Telma Monteiro (Judo)
Puerto Rico - Javier Culson (Athletics)
Qatar - Bahiya Al-Hamad (Shooting)
Romania - Horia Tecău (Tennis)
Russia - Maria Sharapova (Tennis)
Rwanda - Adrien Niyonshuti (Cycling)
Senegal - Hortense Diédhiou (Judo)
Serbia - Novak Djokovic (Tennis)
Singapore - Feng Tianwei (Table Tennis)
Slovakia - Jozef Gonci (Shooting)
Slovenia - Peter Kauzer (Canoeing)
Solomon Islands - Jenlyn Wini (Weightlifting)
South Africa - Caster Semenya (Athletics)
Spain - Rafael Nadal (Tennis)
Tunisia - Heykel Megannem (Handball)
Turkey - Neslihan Demir Darnel (Volleyball)
Ukraine - Roman Gontiuk (Judo)
United Arab Emirates - Saeed Bin Maktoum (Shooting)
Uruguay - Rodolfo Collazo (Rowing)
Uzebkistan - Elshod Rasulov (Boxing)
Vanuatu - Anolyn Lulu (Table Tennis)
Venezuela - Fabiola Ramos (Table Tennis)
Vietnam - Nguyễn Tiến Nhật (Fencing)
Zimbabwe - Kirsty Coventry (Swimming)

[Domshabfan]

India - Sushil Kumar (Wrestling)

[Garden Kitty]

Caster Semenya - South Africa

[maatTheViking]

Caster Semenya - South Africa

that must be so great for her!

[AragornElessar]

Great choice by South Africa!!

When do we find out who the most important Flagbearer is? That being the one given the honour of leading Team Great Britain into the Stadium and in front of the Home Crowd?

I would think we'd be hearing the choice rather soon for two reasons. One to give the athlete chosen time between now and the Opening Ceremonies next week to actually realize this really is going to happen to them and it's not a dream. Two, and more important, the time for the athlete to do the flood of interviews that will be coming his or her way after the announcement.

So UK members...Any idea on who it could be?

[allezfred]

One to give the athlete chosen time between now and the Opening Ceremonies next week to actually realize this really is going to happen to them and it's not a dream.

I'm sure the athlete in question already knows.

Two, and more important, the time for the athlete to do the flood of interviews that will be coming his or her way after the announcement.

And perhaps they want to focus on their own preparations rather than getting caught up in a round of media interviews.

[Angelskates]

No one wants to be Australia's flag bearer

I'd love Natalie Cook to be chosen. Actually, I'll be happy with anyone. The got to the Olympics, they are all worthy of holding our flag.

[ioana]

In the Spanish camp, Iker Martínez and Xabi Fernández both turned down carrying the flag after Nadal withdrew, so Pau Gasol (Lakers basketball player) is expected to be nominated. Formal announcement should be made in a few hours.

ETA: now official http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...86J0VO20120720

[danafan]

There's a rumour that Stanislas Wawrinka will be the Swiss flag bearer.

Article en français: http://www.lematin.ch/sports/tennis/...story/21646980

[Angelskates]

In the Spanish camp, Iker Martínez and Xabi Fernández both turned down carrying the flag after Nadal withdrew, so Pau Gasol (Lakers basketball player) is expected to be nominated. Formal announcement should be made in a few hours.

ETA: now official http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...86J0VO20120720

It's a bummer they need to announce that people turned it down, so Pau will know he's really 4th choice...

[Finnice]

Finland has not chosen the flagbearer yet, because there are still two spots to confirm. I wonder if the shooter Satu Mäkelä-Nummela, who got gold in Peking, would be the one. We usually have chosen someone, who was succesful in the last Olympics.

[Angelskates]

Natalie Cook has threatened to protest is Australia's flag bearer is not a woman

I hope it's not her now.

[skipaway]

She has a point, but wow, practicing carrying the flag was
Now if a woman gets the honor is it b/c it's deserved or to placate NC?

[allezfred]

Does anybody give a shite if she boycotts the opening ceremony?

[Angelskates]

Does anybody give a shite if she boycotts the opening ceremony?

I do. If she doesn't go because it's too far from her event (so she's not in the country), that's one thing. A boycott because she didn't get what she wants, that's disrespectful, and I think she should be kicked off the team, or at least fined a lot of money for not representing her country to the best of her ability. Seriously. She's not there representing just herself, but Australia. What a bad sport, and the games haven't even begun!

I really don't want her to be our flag bearer now, man, woman, I don't give a toss, as long as it's not her. I also don't think a woman should be chosen just for the sake of it - if we have more men qualified for the position, so be it. Now I do feel sorry if a woman gets chosen, because some will always think it's because of Cook. A woman has been flag bearer at the last two Winter Olympics.

[SHARPIE]

Chris Hoy for the UK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympic...3729#FBM109159

[gingercrush]

Brilliant choice.