Patty Mills and Cate Campbell announced as Olympic flag bearers

The flag bearers for Australia at the Olympic Games have been officially announced, as the countdown to the opening ceremony continues.

Patty Mills and Cate Campbell will make history as Australia’s flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

29-year-old Campbell will be the first female swimmer to carry the flag at the opening ceremony, while NBA star Mills becomes the first Indigenous Australian flag bearer.

All nations competing will create an historic first at the Olympics, as it will be the first time every country at both the opening and closing ceremonies will have a male and female flag bearer.

It will be the second time a male and female will lead the Australian contingent of 474 athletes at the opening ceremony since the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when Denise Robertson-Boyd and Max Metzker led the way.

The announcement represented a departure from tradition. Usually the flag bearers are told within the confines of the Olympic Village a few days before the opening ceremony, but the nation found out at the exact same time the athletes did.

Cate Campbell will compete in her fourth Olympic Games.

Campbell will be the second swimmer since Metzker to carry the flag at the opening ceremony.

“I think it’s hard to put into words what this means,” Campbell said.

“To receive the flag from a legend like Dawn (Fraser), she carried at the closing ceremony at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, and I just think that the symmetry and the poetry of that is just so wonderful.

“It brings a little tear to my eye, it is just such an honour and a privilege and I can’t fully express that enough.”

The soon-to-be four-time Olympian said that the flag bearing duties are one of the pinnacles of her career.

“It’s right up there with one of the greatest things that has happened to me,” said Campbell.

“It’s one thing to represent your country in a sport that you love and another thing to represent your Olympians, your fellow Olympians, and the Olympic family that you become a part of.

“That is an honour and a privilege that I do not take lightly and I am so, so humbled to be able to do.”

NBA star Mills will look to lead the Boomers to a medal in Tokyo.

Mills, who represents Australia with the Boomers in basketball, will be the third basketballer to lead Australia at the opening ceremony after Andrew Gaze at the 2000 Sydney Games and Lauren Jackson at the 2012 London Games.

The San Antonio Spurs star had to stay awake late into the night to hear the announcement, but was delighted at the prospect of leading out Australia.

“(It’s) 2am over here (in Las Vegas), so I really appreciate everyone’s support,” Mills said.

“It’s such an honour and a massive privilege.

“Just thankful for all the support up until this moment, it’s something that I won’t be able to put into words what I’m feeling right now.”