ANDY Murray said last night that being selected as flagbearer for tomorrow night's Olympic opening ceremony was the biggest honour in sport. The three-time Grand Slam winner, the reigning Olympic singles champion, will follow in the footsteps of his friend Sir Chris Hoy when he leads Team GB into the Maracana Stadium, carrying the union flag.
The 29-year-old, who was selected from a group of athletes who were nominated by their respective sport team leaders, said the occasion would be one of the high points of his illustrious career.
“I am very proud to be selected as the Team GB flagbearer for the opening ceremony on Friday," said the Scot. "To represent your country at the games is an unbelievable experience, but to lead out Team GB will be an incredible honour, the biggest in sport.
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“This is my third Olympic Games and it is a very special competition for me," he added. "I obviously have great memories of London and I am 100% focused on winning here in Rio. The privilege of being the flagbearer is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life and will certainly be one of the highlights of my career. I hope to do the team proud on Friday and wish all of the British athletes the best of luck for the Games ahead.”
The final decision rested with Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England, who said he was sure he had made the right choice. “The conviction with which Andy spoke to me about the honour of carrying the flag only underlined why he is such an exceptional individual, and absolutely the right choice," said England. “There are a great number of outstanding athletes on this team, from Nicola Adams who I made flagbearer in Baku, to Sir Bradley Wiggins, unquestionably one of our greatest ever Olympians.
“When I asked Andy to lead our team out it was received with a humility and grace that is befitting of the values of Team GB," he added. "It was an emotional moment for him personally, and for this team. I will be incredibly proud to hear him address the team and I have no doubt he will inspire our athletes and the nation alike.”
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