Streamlined News: Opening Ceremonies and Country Flag Bearers

PHOENIX, Arizona, July 27. THE Opening Ceremony takes place today in the Olympic Stadium in London, and while most of the swimmers will not be there to rest up for the competition that begins tomorrow, quite a few swimmers will have the honor of carrying their country's flags in the march of athletes. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe will participate. Coventry said in a recent interview on the Morning Swim Show that she accepted the honor because she is not swimming the 400 IM the day after the Opening Ceremony.

Jason Dunford is the flag bearer for Kenya today. Dunford's best event is the 100 fly, which will be a full week after the Opening Ceremony. Dunford was a finalist in the 100 fly in Beijing. Austrian Markus Rogan, who has been to two previous Olympics, will march with the flag for his country. Rogan is expected to be a finalist in the 200 IM on Thursday.

Brett Fraser will be the flag bearer for the Cayman Islands today. In 2008, Brett and his brother Shaune both carried the flag for the Cayman Islands, but reports indicate only Brett will be the flag bearer this year.

Hanna-Maria Seppala, who finished fourth in the 100 free in 2008, will carry the flag for Finland.

Benjamin Hockin, who swam for Great Britain in 2008, is now representing Paraguay, and will be that country's flag bearer today. Hockin is scheduled to swim the 100 and 200 free and the 100 fly.

Division II college swimmer Marko Blazevski is carrying Macedonia's flag today. Balzevski could have some issues with being on his feet for hours today, as he is set to compete in the men's 400 IM tomorrow.

Also carrying a flag will be Suriname's Chinyere Pigot, who swims for the University of Connecticut collegiately. China is keeping the name of their flag bearer a secret, and news agencies are speculating that Sun Yang is one of the candidates. Sun is not likely to participate, as he is swimming the 400 freestyle tomorrow.

Swimmers from small nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Monaco, Nepal, Tonga and Uganda are carrying their flags today. In some cases, the swimmers are the only athletes for their country.

Swimming begins tomorrow morning with five individual events: the men's 400 IM, 400 free and 100 breast, and the women's 100 fly and 400 IM. The women will also race in the 400 free relay tomorrow.

Be sure to stay with swimmingworld.com throughout the Olympics for complete coverage throughout the Games. Streamlined News will bring you recaps of top stories from the prelims in London, with our Race Day Show analyzing races from finals.

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