2016 Rio Olympics: Anna Meares confirmed as flagbearer

SOUTH Australia’s cycling queen Anna Meares has been named flagbearer for the Rio Games, a day after being named to represent Australia in her fourth Olympics.

YESTERDAY, she was named to represent Australia for her fourth Olympics.

Today, South Australia’s cycling queen Anna Meares has been named flagbearer for the Rio Games.

Chef de mission Kitty Chiller made the announcement at Melbourne’s Federation Square this morning, just hours before Meares is due to depart Melbourne with the track sprint team for Los Angeles en route to Rio.

The 32-year-old dual Olympic gold medallist was yesterday named in Australia’s cycling team for a fourth Games but said she had not yet been tapped on the shoulder about whether she would carry the flag — as she did in Glasgow two years ago.

“For me it has been all about getting on the team for Rio and competing for Australia,” Meares said on Tuesday.

“Just to have my name in the mix, there are some truly incredible athletes in the team already and that in itself is a huge honour, it’s a big decision ahead of Kitty (Chiller) tomorrow and I’m waiting with bated breath like everyone else.

“What would it mean? I’d be speechless to be quite honest, we’ll see.”

This morning, Chiller confirmed MEares’ selection, describing Meares as the epitome of what Australia’s team should represent - humility, respect and excellence.

Meares said that though she had known she was in the running for the honour, the announcement was still “a bit of a shock”.

“I am incredibly proud and humbled, I would like to thank Kitty for this opportunity,” she said.

“To Australia, I am humbled and want you to know how proud I am.

“For me, a country girl, a coal-miners daughter, to become the second cyclist in history to be the flagbearer makes me very emotional and proud.

“I dreamed of being an Olympian, of being an Olympic champion, but never contemplated being a flagbearer.

“Of all the things I have done, carrying the flag for Australia is the greatest honour.”

Meares is an 11-time world champion and dual Olympic gold medallist.

She won her first Olympic gold in the 500m time trial in the Athens Olympics in 2004 then won the sprint in the 2012 after an epic rivalry with Britain’s Victoria Pendleton.

The veteran cyclist, likely in her last Olympics, has endured a turbulent past 12 months after the breakup over her marriage to husband Mark after 15 years together.

She was chosen ahead of hockey star Jamie Dwyer, to represent Australia in his fourth Olympics in Rio, and race walker Jared Tallent, who was awarded a retrospective gold medal last month from the 2012 Olympics after the Russian who finished first was banned for drug cheating.

The election is likely top be popular with Meares’ fellow peers.

Australian swimming’s new 100m freestyle world record holder Cate Campbell had on the weekend nominated Meares to lead the team in the opening ceremony, even though the swimmers won’t march because their competition starts the following day.

The opening ceremony is on August 5 and Meares does not hit the track until August 12. Late yesterday the bookies listed her a $1.55 favourite for the job.

“I would love to see Anna Meares get it, I think that she epitomises the Australian spirit, she is strong and courageous and I feel like she flies under the radar a lot,” Campbell said on Tuesday.

“She has achieved incredible things, she is an Olympic Gold medallist, she overcame incredible injuries and I would love to see her get that honour.’’

Chiller was in Adelaide yesterday to present Meares and the rest of the cycling team with their boarding passes to Rio.

Chiller had decided on who will carry the flag but refused to say whether that person had been told.

“You can find out tomorrow (Wednesday) morning,” said Chiller, who has broken with tradition to name the Rio flagbearer early.

“It was a very tough decision, there were quite a few people who would have fitted the bill.

“Traditionally longevity has played a big role in the flagbearer, what I was really interested in was looking for someone who was the epitome of the values our team stands for.

“Someone who exemplifies respect, humility, sportsmanship, excellence, integrity, who was a role model within their own sport and the broader Olympic family.

“It needs to be someone the whole team can look up to and respect.

“The person I’ve chosen is a perfect choice I think, there was a shortlist of five, some names that came to me very early on and I’ve been observing over the last couple of years to find someone who really did exemplify everything I was looking for.”

Meares was the second cyclist to have the honour after Dunc Gray at Berlin in 1936, with Jackson (2012), rower James Tomkins (2008), sailer Colin Beashel (2004) and basketballer Andrew Gaze (2000) recent flagbearers.

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LATEST BETTING

Anna Meares 1.55

Jamie Dwyer 3.00

Jared Tallent 9.00

Kim Brennan 17.00

Cate Campbell 21.00

Originally published as 2016 Rio Olympics: Anna Meares confirmed as flagbearer