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2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
- Full aquatics schedule
- SwimSwam Event Previews
- Start Lists & Results
The flag bearer announcements for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games continue this time with another swimmer ready to wave a nation’s colors at the opening ceremony.
Olympic champion Chad Le Clos has been selected as the male flag bearer for his nation of South Africa.
Le Clos enters Tokyo as his country’s most decorated Olympian, having won 4 medals, including one gold, over the 2012 Games and 2016 Games in London and Rio, respectively.
On this flag bearing honor, 29-year-old Le Clos told Tokyo 2020, “It is a huge thing, this is special for me, and it means a lot to my family and me. Just being here [at the Olympic Games] is a huge honour after everything that has happened.
“This feels like a gold medal for me, to represent my country at that stage, I feel a bit like Siya Kolisi (South African Rugby World Cup-winning captain).
“My dad burst into tears when I told him. It is a huge thing, and I am very proud to not only represent swimming but the whole country at this year’s Olympics,” he added. “I hope South Africans can see the pride in all of us and take inspiration.”
Le Clos is set to contest the 100m and 200m butterfly individual events.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) also named South Africa’s women’s hockey vice-captain and Olympic debutant Phumelela Mbande to carry the flag.
Olympic Swimming Flag Bearers (Tokyo 2020)
- Amel Melih, Algeria
- Cate Campbell, Australia
- Gabriel Castillo, Bolivia
- Karen Torrez, Bolivia
- Elinah Phillip, British Virgin Islands
- Celina Marquez, El Salvador
- Julio Horrego, Honduras
- Laszlo Cseh, Hungary
- Yakov Toumarkin, Israel
- Andrew Chetcuti, Malta
- Gaurika Singh, Nepal
- Paweł Korzeniowski, Poland
- Robert Glinta, Romania
- Arianna Valloni, San Marino
- Chad Le Clos, South Africa
- Hwang Sun-Woo, South Korea
- Mireia Belmonte, Spain
- Issa Al-Adawi, Oman
- Felicity Passon, Seychelles
“Unbelievable!” says Bert.
Well, actually, no, Bert didn’t say that. He burst into tears when he learned his son would be the RSA flagbearer.
This is great. I love it when the instantly recognizable athletes from prior Olympiads are carrying the flag. LeClos will be at the far outside
He’ll probably take the flag out in about 30 seconds, but his back half around the track will take something like 4:30.
pacer for the opening ceremony
Happy for him! I still consider him a 200 freestyle Olympic gold medalist!
He was so “Le Clos(e)” see what I did there? 🙂
Sun yang is the best