Anna Meares’ family won’t be in Rio to watch her carry Australian flag due to safety concerns

ANNA Meares’ parents won’t be in Rio to see the crowning moment of their daughter’s career because of safety concerns.

Anna Meares poses with the Australian flag during the Australian Olympic Games flag bearer announcement at Federation Square. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

ANNA Meares’ parents won’t be in Rio to see the crowning moment of their daughter’s career because of safety concerns.

The cycling champion’s father, Tony, travelled down from Queensland to Melbourne to be with the two-time gold medallist when she was announced as Australia’s flag-bearer for next month’s Olympic Games.

“A wonderful moment ... brilliant,” Tony said. “All we ever did was try to assist them on their way. We didn’t set their goals ... it just snowballed.”

He said after consultation with Anna it was decided the risks were too great for the family to travel to Rio.

“She has a little bit of a concern about the security for visitors, which is what we would be,” Tony said.

“She was saying ‘I’d prefer you not to come’ and that’s just one worry that’s eliminated immediately.”

Tony and Marilyn Meares were at the Beijing and London Olympics to watch her compete.

Australia’s chef de mission Kitty Chiller last month sent a letter to Rio organisers about security concerns after the gunpoint robbery of an Australian Paralympian in the host city.

She called for organisers to bring forward their deployment of some 85,000 security personnel, ahead of the August 5 official opening of the Games.

Anna Meares is presented with the Australian flag by Lauren Jackson, flag-bearer for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Picture: Getty Images

Meares also said she was in regular contact with team doctors about the Zika virus.

“For me, it’s really hard to decipher between hype and reality and I’m just trying to take the information (from) the AOC’s medical team,” she said.

“For me personally, being female ... it’s been really difficult and I’m constantly on the phone to my team doctor.

“I decided to ... ‘diss’ the hype around it.

“Honestly, it may actually be more beneficial to the people of Brazil, to put a spotlight on something they’re living with daily.”

An emotional Meares accepted the honour from Chiller at Federation Square with the Olympic boss travelling to Adelaide three weeks ago to ask if she wanted the gig.

“It was pretty emotional when Kitty asked me to be the flag bearer, we kind of joked that she was proposing to me,” she said.

“It was quite a shock and it’s really great, that something of this magnitude, being the greatest honour I believe I’ve had bestowed upon me, to have that announced here in Australia gives it some time to let it sink in.”

Asked if being the flag-bearer meant more than her two Olympic gold medals, Meares said: “To me, this far exceeds all of that, most definitely.

“For me, a country girl, a coalminer’s daughter, to become the second cyclist in history to be the flag bearer makes me very emotional and proud.

“I dreamt of being an Olympian, of being an Olympic champion, but never contemplated being a flag bearer.

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

Meares poses with the Australian flag. Picture: Getty Images

Chiller described Meares, who is going to her fourth Games in Rio, as the perfect fit to lead Australia’s team given she ticked all the boxes of humility, respect and excellence.

“Anna is the absolute epitome of what I want this team to represent,” Chiller said.

“It was really important to me that it wasn’t just excellence or longevity ... but also someone who was the hallmark of what we want this team to be about.”

Meares, 32, was chosen ahead of hockey star Jamie Dwyer, who will represent Australia in his fourth Olympics in Rio, and race walker Jared Tallent.

Tallent, who was awarded a retrospective gold medal last month from the 2012 Olympics, was announced as captain of the track and field team on Tuesday.

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.

Dunc Gray was the last cyclist to be flag bearer in 1936 in Berlin while those to do the job in recent times were basketballer Lauren Jackson (2012), rower James Tomkins (2008), sailor Colin Beashel (2004) and basketballer Andrew Gaze (2000).

Originally published as Anna Meares’ family won’t be in Rio to watch her carry Australian flag due to safety concerns