London Olympics 2012: Maria Sharapova Tops List of Opening Ceremony Flag Bearers

It is an immense honor to compete for one's country in the Olympic Games. The only honor greater than competing is being chosen to carry your country's flag in the historic opening ceremonies.

This Friday in London, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games will get under way. The Parade of Nations gives the world our first look at the competitors. Each country, starting with Greece and followed in alphabetic succession, is led by an elected representative who will bear their country's flag.

This year, the Russian colors will be carried by tennis star Maria Sharapova. She will be joined by some of the greatest athletes the London Games will feature. Some names you may know, others you won't, but they are all being bestowed the greatest honor one can receive at these Olympics.

Maria Sharapova, Russia

Currently ranked No. 3 in the world by the WTA, Maria Sharapova will be competing for Russia in the 2012 Olympic Games.

The 25-year-old was born in the town of Nyagan in 1987. She has a professional career record of 451-110 and has won 27 WTA titles. Her 2012 win at the French Open made her just the sixth woman in the Open era to complete a career Grand Slam. She won the other three at varying points of her career.

While at the French Open, Sharapova was asked by the Russian Olympic Committee to be the team's flag bearer for the 2012 Opening Ceremonies. 

After being forced to miss the 2008 Games in Beijing due to injury, you can bet that Sharapova is going to be playing her best in London in the coming weeks.

Pau Gasol, Spain

When Spain's most internationally visible athlete, Rafael Nadal, backed out of the 2012 Olympic Games, they had to find a replacement to carry the country's colors in the Parade of Nations. 

This leads us to Pau Gasol, another internationally recognized athlete hailing from Spain. Gasol stepped in when asked by his country's Olympic Committee. He will be competing for Spain's basketball team in the Games and looking to unseat 2008 gold medal winners, Team USA..

He led the team to a silver medal in Beijing and will be competing alongside his brother, Marc. In the 2008 gold medal game, Gasol scored 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting and grabbed six rebounds against the Americans. 

Novak Djokovic, Serbia

After losing in the semifinals at Wimbledon to Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic dropped to No. 2 in the world rankings.

He was born in 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia and will be competing in his second Olympic Games under the Serbian flag. In the 2012 games he will carry his country's flag through the Opening Ceremonies. 

In 2008, Djokovic finished with the bronze medal but is among the favorites for the gold this time around. Especially with 2008 gold medalist Rafael Nadal pulling out of the Games for Spain.

Despite his early exit at Wimbledon, Djokovic has been having a great year. He won the Australian Open and was runner-up in the French Open, both times meeting Nadal in the finals. 

Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe

The former Auburn University swimmer was born in Harare, Zimbabwe back in 1983. In 2012, Kirsty Coventry will be competing for her native country in the London Olympics. 

The 28-year-old Coventry is no stranger to the Olympiad, having competed and earned a medal in each of the past two Summer Games. She is in an exclusive club of female athletes with her seven Olympic medals, two of them gold. 

Her gold medals came in the 2004 and 2008 Games in the 200-meter backstroke. She will be looking to three-peat in the coming weeks. She set the world record in that event at the 2009 World Championships. 

She will be responsible for bearing the Zimbabwean flag during this year's Parade of Nations.

Saori Yoshida, Japan

Saori Yoshida of Japan will be looking for her third straight Olympic gold medal this year. She has earned the first place prize in each of past two Summer Games for her weight class. 

Yoshida wrestles in the 55kg class and at just 29 years old, she has a solid chance for a third gold medal. Not only has she shown superior talent at the Olympics, but she has dominated the competition entirely since 2002.

The Tsu, Mie native has won every world or international tournament for which she has entered. She followed up her career-opening 119-match winning streak with a streak of 58 wins that was busted earlier this year in May's World Cup in Tokyo.

Yoshida will receive the honor of carrying Japan's flag in the 2012 Opening Ceremonies. 

Laura Flessel-Colovic, France

Few athletes in any sport have had as long and successful a career as France's Laura Flessel-Colovic. The fencer will be competing in yet another Olympic Games this year at the age of 40.

Flessel-Colovic first won two gold medals in the 1996 Atlanta Games for individual and team epee. She followed that up with a bronze in Sydney at the 2000 Games and a bronze and silver in the 2004 Games. 

She returns this year as the all-time leader in medals among French female Olympians. She also has six World Championship golds and won a silver medal as far back as 1995. Her 2011 European Championship bronze means she won fencing medals 16 years apart. 

Prior to competing in the 2012 Games, she will carry France's flag during the Opening Ceremonies.

Simon Whitfield, Canada

Simon Whitfield will be one of the oldest competitors walking in the Parade of Nations this summer. He will also be noticeable for a different reason, he will be carrying Canada's national flag.

Whitfield is 37 years old and will be competing in the men's triathlon in his fourth consecutive Olympic Games. He earned a gold medal in 2000 and most recently, a silver medal in Beijing. 

His first medal in 2000 stands as the fastest Olympic Triathlon in history. More impressive though is his run of Canadian Triathlon Championships. It is usually difficult for an athlete to repeat a title. Whitfield has won 10 of them consecutively. 

Valentina Vezzali, Italy

Continuing the run of Olympic veterans to earn the privilege of carrying their homeland's flag, Italy has offered their leadership to Valentina Vezzali. 

Vezzali, like Flessel-Colovic is an Olympic fencer who has won seven medals in the games. She competes in individual and team foil competitions and has earned five gold medals. She won two medals in 1996 in Atlanta and two four years ago in Beijing. 

She is one of the most internationally decorated athletes ever, with 21 World Championship medals, including 13 gold. Born in the town of Jesi, the 38-year-old will now lead the Italians into the London Olympics Friday night.

Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland

While Americans may have come to know her as the girl who lost to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final, Agnieszka Radwanska is actually the No. 2 ranked woman in the world.

The 23-year-old is still making a name for herself, but she is already known and feared inside female tennis circles. She has won 10 WTA singles championships, but her finals loss to Williams was her first time advancing past the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam tournament.

She hails from Krakow, Poland and will be one of the youngest flag bearers at the ceremonies. Don't underestimate her medal chances though, as she has matched up with and defeated some of the biggest names in tennis.

Peter Biros, Hungary

Hungary has dominated the sport of men's water polo for the past decade-plus. They have won the gold medal at each of the past three summer Olympics.

Peter Biros is a major part of that feat. He is also decorated with those three gold medals and has been with the team for more than 12 years now. He scored 13 goals in the Beijing Games, including three in the gold medal game against America.

The 36-year-old earned the MVP honors for the 2008 Water Polo European Championships. After carrying his country's flag through the Parade of Nations, Biros will look to carry his team to a fourth Olympic gold.