Olympic Opening Ceremony 2012: Notable Flag Bearers to Keep an Eye On

The Opening Ceremony at the 2012 London Olympics will honor all the athletes who will compete in the games, and each country has selected one notable athlete to be the face of the nation during the event.

A flag bearer can be chosen for any number of reasons, and many of the people carrying their country’s colors will go on to shine during the rest of the games.

It will be all smiles during the ceremony from everyone involved, but then the athletes will put their game faces on.

Here are the people to keep an eye on during the parade.

Pau Gasol, Spain

It will be easy to spot Pau Gasol during the ceremony, considering he is seven feet tall.

Rafael Nadal was supposed to be the flag bearer for Spain, but he withdrew from the games due to injury.

Now the Spaniards will have their one of their most easily recognizable athletes clad in red and yellow in what is sure to be a festive occasion. 

The fun stops after Gasol exits the Olympic Stadium though, as he will face a monumentally difficult task in leading his basketball team over the heavily favored Americans.

Usain Bolt, Jamaica

Spectators will have to keep their eyes on Jamaica’s Usain Bolt right from the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

He will be one of the most intriguing athletes at the games after setting world records in the men’s 100-meter and 200-meter races in Beijing.

He will carry Jamaica’s flag through the Parade of Nations and then will return to Olympic Stadium to try to set more records.

Bolt is one of the marquee athletes in London, and it is only fitting he takes center stage immediately.

Novak Djokovic, Serbia

Countries do not always choose their most high-profile athlete as their flag-bearer, but Serbia did not feel that it needed to get creative with their choice.

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic will carry the Serbian flag, which has been flown at the Parade of Nations just three times.

It first appeared in 1912 but then was absent from the ceremony for 96 years as the nation’s athletes competed under various flags. Yugoslavia, Independent Participant and Serbia and Montenegro are the other official names Serbian athletes have competed under. 

Now they have colors and a flag of their own, and Djokovic will proudly mark the country’s presence for their second consecutive Olympiad.

Maria Sharapova, Russia

The countries will march in alphabetical order, with the exception of Greece—who always goes first by tradition—and Great Britain, who will end the parade as the hosts.

So it will be a while before Russia makes its appearance, and the event may have become a little dull by this point. Maria Sharapova’s presence will be sure to fix that.

The four-time Grand Slam winner missed the 2008 Olympics with an injury, but she will proudly compete for her country this summer.

Sharapova’s grunts will be heard later in the competition, but her bright smile will surely be an excellent addition this ceremony.

Chris Hoy, Great Britain

Chris Hoy will be the final flag bearer of the opening ceremony, as he will represent Great Britain.

The four-time gold medalist in cycling was the “overwhelming winner” of the country’s Olympic team vote to hoist the Union Jack at the close of the parade, according to Robin Scott-Elliot of the Independent.

The 36-year-old Scot was the 2008 Sports Personality of the Year following his performance in Beijing.

He is immensely popular all over the United Kingdom and a fitting choice to bring the epic event to an end.