After months of speculation, paddler Jessica Fox and hockey veteran Eddie Ockenden have been given the honour of being joint flag bearers for Team Australia at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
Jessica and Eddie are the third pair of dual flag bearers for Australia at a Summer Olympics and follow in the footsteps of Denish Boyd and Mat Metzker (Moscow, 1980) and Cate Campbell and Patrick Mills (Tokyo, 2020).
The Parade of Nations will see athletes from each nation board a boat that will take them down the iconic River Seine, as opposed to letting athletes walk the floor of the Olympic Stadium which has always been tradition.
460 Australians will join more than 10,000 other athletes on 94 parade floats, in what has been described as a “bold and unique” means of revolutionizing the games for the modern era.
An estimated 1.5 billion spectators are expected to tune into the Opening Ceremony from home as well as the tens of thousands of spectators that are expected the line the banks of the Seine to watch the action unfold in person.
30-year-old Jessica Fox is now the second paddler to carry the flag following the late Dennis Green who was flag bearer at Munich in 1972. Since making her Olympics debut in 2012 at the age of 18, Jess has won one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
And now, the World Champion slalom canoeist is expected to add to this number with her participation in the canoe slalom and kayak cross, a new event on the Olympic program.
“I am so proud to follow in the steps of so many great Australians who have carried the flag. The Olympic Games bring us together as sports, as athletes, and as a nation. And of course, I am immensely proud to represent Australia in the country of my birth [Marseilles, France],” Jess shared in a statement announcing the exciting news.
“I think using the iconic River Seine in the heart of Paris will make this a spectacular and memorable Opening Ceremony. It’s original and it’s innovative, and I can’t wait,” she added.
As for her co-flag bearer Eddie Ockenden, he is making history in 2024 as the first Australian hockey player to ever compete at five Olympic Games. He described being given such a responsibility as “incredible” and an experience that made him “full of pride.”
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to now have this honour and experience something with such a strong history and deep meaning,” he shared in a statement.
“I’m immensely proud to be representing Australia, Tasmania, and my sport hockey.”
Speaking of, Eddie has achieved Olympic greatness in past games, taking home two bronze and one silver medal in recent years – something we are certain he will add to in Paris.
Reflecting upon the decision to select the pair to anoint the sporting giants as flag bearers, Australia’s Olympic Chef de Mission Anna Meares said both possessed the attributes needed for the role.
“They are both so deserving and provide great leadership within their sports and more broadly.”
“Each has longevity, character, humility, and great support in the Australian community.”
If you’d like to show your support for Team Australia at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, tune in for yourself. Here’s where, and when the action will start unfolding.
