Support truly
independent journalism
LeBron James and Coco Gauff are Team USA’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympics, with over 400 athletes joining them including diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover, two of Britain’s most decorated Olympians.
The prestigious event will begin tonight, as each team selects two athletes to represent them at the Parade of Nations, taking place along the River Seine.
Basketball legend James, who won gold at the London Olympics in 2012, will be accompanied by tennis star Gauff, who makes her Olympic debut in Paris. Both of America’s brightest athletes will be the penultimate pair to carry their country’s flag at the parade, behind host nation France’s Florent Manaudou and Melina Robert-Michon.
Daley won his first Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020, when he performed a breathtaking 10-metre synchronised dive with teammate Matty Lee. Glover, meanwhile, became a double Olympic champion after securing back-to-back golds in London and Rio, entering this year’s tournament as one of the greatest British rowers of all time.
Representing the Refugee Olympic Team, which was formed at Rio in 2016, is Cindy Ngamba and Yahya Al Ghotany.
Ngamba, who lives in Bolton but has been unable to secure a UK citizenship, will also be the team’s first boxer to compete at the games. Both her and Al Ghotany have overcome incredible adversities to compete, and will proudly bear their team’s flag at what will be the first opening ceremony to be held outside of a stadium.
Teams and flagbearers for Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony (walkout order)
Greece (home of modern Olympics): Giannis Antetokounmpo (Basketball); Antigoni Drisbioti (Athletics)
Refugee Olympic Team: Yahya Al Ghotany (Taekwondo); Cindy Ngamba (Boxing)
Afghanistan: Fariba Hashimi (Cycling); Sha Mahmood Noor Zahi (Athletics)
South Africa: Akani Simbine (Athletics); Caitlin Rooskrantz (Gymnastics)
Albania: Zelimkhan Abakarov (Wrestling); Kaltra Meca (Swimming)
Algeria: Yasser Triki (Athletics); Amina Belhadi (Judo)
Germany: Dennis Schröder (Basketball); Anna-Maria Wagner (Judo)
Angola: Azenaide Carlos (Handball); Edmilson Pedro (Judo)
Antigua and Barbuda: Cejhae Greene (Athletics); Joella Lloyd (Athletics)
Saudi Arabia: Dunya Ali M Abutaleb (Taekwondo); Ramzy Al Duhami (Equestrian)
Argentina: Luciano De Cecco (Volleyball); Rocío Sánchez Moccia (Field hockey)
Armenia: Davit Chaloyan (Boxing); Varsenik Manucharyan (Swimming)
Aruba: Mikel Schreuders (Swimming); Chloë Farro (Swimming)
Austria: Felix Oschmautz (Canoeing); Michaela Polleres (Judo)
Azerbaijan: Mahammad Abdullayev (Boxing); Gultaj Mammadaliyeva (Judo)
Bahamas: Devynne Charlton (Athletics); Steven Gardiner (Athletics)
Bahrain: Amani Alobaidli (Swimming); Saud Ghali (Swimming)
Bangladesh: Sagor Islam (Archery); Mst Sonia Khatun (Swimming)
Barbados: Jack Kirby (Swimming); Sada Williams (Athletics)
Belgium: Jérôme Guéry (Equestrian - jumping); Emma Meesseman (Basketball)
Belize: Shaun Gill (Athletics); Valentin Houinato (Judo)
Benin: Valentin Houinato (Judo); Noelie Yarigo (Athletics)
Bermuda: Jah-Nhai Perinchief (Athletics); Adriana Penruddocke (Sailing)
Bhutan: tbc
Bolivia: Héctor Garibay (Athletics); María José Ribera (Swimming)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Larisa Ceric (Judo); Mesud Pezer (Athletics)
Botswana: Maxine Egner (Swimming); Letsile Tebogo (Athletics)
Brazil: Isaquias Queiroz (Canoeing), Raquel Kochhann (Rugby sevens)
Brunei: Zeke Chan (Swimming); Hayley Wong (Swimming)
Bulgaria: Lyubomir Epitropov (Swimming); Stanimira Petrova (Boxing)
Burkina Faso: Marthe Koala (Athletics); Hugues Fabrice Zango (Athletics)
Burundi: Belly-Cresus Ganira (Swimming); Ange Ciella Niragira (Judo)
Cabo Verde: David de Pina (Boxing); Djamila Silva (Judo)
Cayman Islands: Jordan Crooks (Swimming); Charlotte Webster (Sailing)
Cambodia: Bunthorn Chhun (Athletics); Apsara Katarina Sakbum (Swimming)
Cameroon: Emmanuel Eseme (Athletics); Richelle Anita Soppi Mbella (Judo)
Canada: Maude Charron (Weightlifting); Andre de Grasse (Athletics)
Cape Verde: Daniel Varela de Pina (Boxing ); Djamila Silva (Judo)
Central African Republic: Nadia Matchiko Guimendego (Judo)
Chile: Nicolás Jarry (Tennis); Antonia Abraham (Rowing)
China: Ma Long (table tennis); Feng Yu (Artistic swimming)
Cyprus: Milan Trajkovic (Athletics); Elena Kulichenko (Athletics)
Colombia: Kevin Quintero (Cycling); Flor Ruiz (Athletics)
Comoros: Hachim Maaroufou (Athletics); Maesha Saadi (Swimming)
Republic of the Congo: Freddy Mayala (Swimming); Natacha Ngoye (Athletics)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Arnold Daso Kisoka (Judo)
Cook Islands: Alex Beddoes (Athletics); Lanihei Connolly (Swimming)
South Korea: Woo Sang-hyeok (Athletics); Kim Seo-yeong (Swimming)
Costa Rica: Gerald Drummond (Athletics); Milagro Mena (Cycling)
Ivory Coast: Cheick Sallah Cissé (Taekwondo); Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Athletics)
Croatia: Giovanni Cernogoraz (Shooting); Barbara Matić (Judo)
Cuba: Mijaín López (Wrestling); Idalys Ortiz (Judo)
Denmark: Niklas Landin Jacobsen (Handball); Anne-Marie Rindom (Sailing)
Djibouti: Samiyah Hassan Nour (Athletics); Mohamed Ismail (Athletics)
Dominican Republic: Audrys Nin Reyes (Gymnastics); Marileidy Paulino (Athletics)
Dominica: Dennick Luke (Athletics); Thea LaFond-Gadson (Athletics)
Egypt: Ahmed El-Gendy (Modern pentathlon); Sara Ahmed (Weightlifting)
El Salvador: Uriel Canjura (Badminton); Celina Márquez (Swimming)
United Arab Emirates: Omar Al Marzouqi (Equestrian); Daniel Pintado (Athletics)
Ecuador: Neisi Dajomes (Weightlifting); Julio Mendoza Loor (Equestrian)
Eritrea: Biniam Girmay (Cycling); Christina Rach (Swimming)
Spain: Marcus Cooper Walz (Canoeing); Támara Echegoyen (Sailing)
Estonia: Klen Kristofer Kaljulaid (Judo), Reena Pärnat (Archery)
Eswatini: Hayley Hoy (Swimming); Chadd Ng Chiu Hing Ning (Swimming)
Ethiopia: Lina Alemayehu Selo (Swimming); Misgana Wakuma (Athletics)
Fiji: Raijieli Daveua (Rugby Sevens); Viliame Ratulu (Sailing)
Finland: Eetu Kallioinen); Shooting (Sinem Kurtbay (Sailing)
Gabon: Wissy Frank Hoye Yenda Moukoula (Athletics); Noelie Annette Lacour (Swimming)
The Gambia: Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye (Athletics); Faye Njie (Judo)
Georgia: Nino Salukvadze (Shooting); Lasha Talakhadze (Weightlifting)
Ghana: Joseph Paul Amoah (Athletics); Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah (Athletics)
Great Britain: Tom Daley (Diving); Helen Glover (Rowing)
Grenada: Lindon Victor (Athletics); Tilly Collymore (Swimming)
Guam: Rckaela Maree Ramos Aquino (Wrestling); Joseph Green (Athletics)
Guatemala: Kevin Cordón (Badminton); Waleska Soto (Shooting)
Guinea: Naby Keïta (Football); Fatoumata Sylla (Archery)
Guinea-Bissau: Diamantino Iuna Fafe (Wrestling)
Equatorial Guinea: Sefora Ada Eto (Athletics); Higinio Ndong Obama (Swimming)
Guyana: Emanuel Archibald (Athletics); Chelsea Edghill (Table Tennis)
Haiti: Lynnzee Brown (Gymnastics); Philippe Abel Metellus (Judo)
Honduras: Julimar Avila Mancia (Swimming); Kevin Mejia Castillo (Wrestling)
Hong Kong: Cheung Ka Long (Fencing); Siobhán Haughey (Swimming)
Hungary: Krisztián Tóth (Judo); Blanka Bíró (Handball)
India: Sharath Kamal (Table tennis); P. V. Sindhu (Badminton)
Indonesia: Maryam March Maharani (Judo )
Iran: Mahdi Olfati (Gymnastics); Neda Shahsavari (Table tennis)
Iraq: Ali Ammar Yusur Rubaiawi (Weightlifting)
Ireland: Shane Lowry (Golf); Sarah Lavin (Athletics)
Iceland: Hákon Svavarsson (Shooting); Edda Hannesdóttir (Triathlon)
Israel: Peter Paltchik (Judo); Andrea Murez (Swimming)
Italy: Gianmarco Tamberi (Athletics); Arianna Errigo (Fencing)
Jamaica: Josh Kirlew (Swimming); Shanieka Ricketts (Athletics)
Japan: Shigeyuki Nakarai (Breaking); Misaki Emura (Fencing)
Jordan: Saleh Al-Sharabaty (Taekwondo); Rama Abu Al-Rub (Taekwondo)
Kazakhstan: Aslanbek Shymbergenov (Boxing); Olga Safronova (Athletics)
Kenya: Ferdinand Omanyala (Athletics); Trizah Atuka (Volleyball)
Kyrgyzstan: Elizaveta Pecherskikh (Swimming); Erlan Sherov (Judo)
Kiribati: Kaimauri Erati (Weightlifting); Nera Tiebwa (Judo)
Kosovo: Nora Gjakova (Judo); Akil Gjakova (Judo)
Kuwait: Soaad Alfaqaan (Rowing); Yousef Alshamlan (Fencing)
Laos: tbc
Lesotho: Tebello Ramakongoana (Athletics); Michelle Tau (Taekwondo)
Latvia: Nauris Miezis (3x3 basketball); Tīna Graudiņa (Beach volleyball)
Lebanon: Laetitia Aoun (Taekwondo); Simon Doueihy (Swimming)
Liberia: Thelma Davies (Athletics); Emmanuel Matadi (Athletics)
Libya: Mek Almukhtar (Swimming); Mohamed Bukrah (Rowing)
Liechtenstein: Romano Puentener (Cycling Mountain Bike)
Lithuania: Justina Vanagaitė (Equestrian); Rytis Jasiūnas (Sailing)
Luxembourg: Bob Bertemes (Athletics); Xia Lian Ni (Table Tennis)
North Macedonia: Dario Ivanovski (Athletics); Miljana Reljikj (Taekwondo)
Madagascar: Fabio Rakotoarimanana (Table Tennis); Rosina Randafiarison (Weightlifting)
Malaysia: Bertrand Rhodict Lises (Diving); Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif (Sailing)
Malawi: Filipe Gomes (Swimming); Asimenye Simwaka (Athletics)
Maldives: Ibadulla Adam (Athletics); Dheema Ali (Table tennis)
Mali: Marine Fatoumatta Colette Camara (Boxing); Alexien Kouma (Swimming)
Malta: Gianluca Chetcuti (Shooting); Sasha Gatt (Swimming)
Morocco: Ines Laklalech (Golf); Yessin Rahmouni (Equestrian)
Marshall Islands: William Reed (Athletics); Mathlynn Sasser (Weightlifting)
Mauritius: Aurelie Halbwachs (Cycling); Jean Gael Laurent L’Entete (Triathlon)
Mauritania: Camil Doua (Swimming); Emiliano Hernández (Modern pentathlon)
Mexico: Emiliano Hernandez (Modern Pentathlon); Alejandra Orozco (Diving)
Federated States of Micronesia: Tasi Limtiaco (Swimming); Kestra Kihleng (Swimming)
Moldova: Dan Olaru (Archery); Alexandra Mîrca (Archery)
Monaco: Théo Druenne (Swimming); Lisa Pou (Swimming)
Mongolia: Bat-Ochiryn Ser-Od (Athletics); Oyuntsetseg Yesügen (Boxing)
Montenegro: Milivoj Dukic (Sailing); Danka Kovinic (Tennis)
Mozambique: Alcinda Lucas dos Santos (Boxing); Matthew Lawrence (Swimming)
Myanmar: Phone Pyae Han (Swimming); Thuzar Thet Htar (Badminton)
Namibia: Vera Looser (Cycling); Alex Miller (Cycling Mountain Bike)
Nauru: Winzar Kakiouea (Athletics)
Nepal: Santoo Shrestha (Table Tennis); Manita Shrestha Pradhan (Judo)
Nicaragua: Gerald Hernández (Swimming); Izayana Marenco (Judo)
Niger: Samira Awali Boubacar (Athletics); Abdoul Issoufou (Taekwondo)
Nigeria: Tobi Amusan (Athletics); Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori (Badminton)
Norway: Katrine Lunde (Handball); Christian Sandlie Soerum (Beach Volleyball)
New Zealand: Jo Aleh (Sailing); Aaron Murray Gate (Cycling)
Oman: Mazoon Al Alawi (Athletics); Ali Anwar Ali Al Balushi (Athletics)
Uganda: Charles Kagimu (Cycling); Gloria Anna Muzito (Swimming)
Uzbekistan: Abdumalik Khalokov (Boxing); Zaynab Dayibekova (Fencing)
Pakistan: Arshad Nadeem (Athletics); Jehanara Nabi (Swimming)
Palau: tbc
Palestine: Wasim Abusal (Boxing); Valerie Rose Tarazi (Swimming)
Panama: Franklin Archibold (Cycling); Hillary Heron (Gymnastics)
Papua New Guinea: Gibson Mara (Taekwondo); Georgia-Leigh Vele (Swimming)
Paraguay: Fabrizio Zanotti (Golf); Alejandra Alonso (Rowing)
Netherlands: Worthy de Jong (3x3 basketball); Lois Abbingh (Handball)
Peru: Juan Postigos (Judo); María Luisa Doig (Fencing)
Philippines: Carlo Paalam (Boxing); Nesthy Petecio (Boxing)
Poland : Przemysław Zamojski (3x3 basketball); Anita Włodarczyk (Athletics)
Puerto Rico: Sebastian Rivera (Wrestling); Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Athletics)
Portugal: Fernando Pimenta (Canoeing); Ana Cabecinha (Athletics)
Qatar: Shahd Ashraf (Athletics); Mutaz Essa Barshim (Athletics)
North Korea: tbc
Romania: Marius Cozmiuc (Rowing ); Ionela Cozmiuc (Rowing)
Rwanda: tbc
Saint Kitts and Nevis: tbc
San Marino: Loris Bianchi (Swimming); Alessandra Gasparelli (Athletics)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
Saint Lucia: Michael Joseph (Athletics)
Solomon Islands: Isabella Millar (Swimming)
Samoa: Don Opeloge (Weightlifting)
American Samoa: tbc
São Tomé and Príncipe: tbc
Serbia: Dušan Mandić (Water polo); Maja Ognjenović (Volleyball)
Seychelles: Dylan Sicobo (Athletics); Khema Elizabeth (Swimming)
Sierra Leone: tbc
Singapore: Ryan Lo (Sailing); Shanti Pereira (Athletics)
Slovakia: Jakub Grigar (Canoe slalom); Zuzana Pankova (Canoe slalom)
Slovenia: Benjamin Savsek (Canoe slalom); Ana Gros (Handball)
Somalia: Ali Idow Hassan (Athletics)
Sudan: Yaseen Abdalla (Athletics); Rana Saadeldin (Swimming)
South Sudan: Kuany Kuany (Basketball); Lucia Moris (Athletics)
Sri Lanka: Viren Nettasinghe (Badminton); Dilhani Lekamge (Athletics)
Sweden: Peder Fredricson (Equestrian); Josefin Olsson (Sailing)
Switzerland: Nino Schurter (Cycling Mountain Bike); Nina Christen (Shooting)
Suriname: Kaelyn Ciara Suryanti Djoparto (Swimming); Irvin Hoost (Swimming)
Syria: Amre Hamcho (Equestrian); Alisar Youssef (Athletics)
Tajikistan: Temur Rakhimov (Judo); Mijgona Samadova (Boxing)
Chinese Taipei: Sun Chen (Breaking); Tai Tzu-ying (Badminton)
Tanzania: tbc
Chad: Israel Madaye (Archery); Demos Memneloum (Judo)
Czech Republic: Lukáš Krpálek (Judo); Marie Horáčková (Archery)
Thailand: Puripol Boonson (Athletics); Vareeraya Sukasem (Skateboarding)
East Timor: tbc
Togo: Eloi Adjavon (Triathlon); Naomi Akakpo (Athletics)
Tonga: Noelani Malia Day (Swimming); Maleselo Fufofuka (Athletics)
Trinidad and Tobago: Michelle-Lee Ahye (Athletics); Dylan Carter (Swimming)
Tunisia: Salim Jemai (Canoeing); Khadija Krimi (Rowing)
Turkmenistan: Maysa Pardayeva (Judo); Serdar Rahimov (Judo)
Turkey: Mete Gazoz (Archery); Busenaz Sürmeneli (Boxing)
Tuvalu: Karalo Hepoiteloto Maibuca (Athletics); Temalini Manatoa (Athletics)
Ukraine: Mykhailo Romanchuk (Swimming); Elina Svitolina (Tennis)
Uruguay: Emiliano Lasa (Athletics); María Sara Grippoli (Taekwondo)
Vanuatu: Hugo Cumbo (Judo); Priscilla Tommy (Table tennis)
Venezuela: Julio Mayora (Weightlifting); Yulimar Rojas (Athletics)
British Virgin Islands: Adaejah Hodge (Athletics); Thad Lettsome (Sailing)
Virgin Islands: Natalia Jean Kuipers (Swimming); Kruz Schembri (Fencing)
Vietnam: Lê Đức Phát (Badminton); Nguyễn Thị Thật (Cycling)
Yemen: Samer Al-Yafaee (Athletics)
Zambia: Muzala Samukonga (Athletics); Margaret Tembo (Boxing)
Zimbabwe: Makanakaishe Charamba (Athletics); Paige van der Westhuizen (Swimming)
Australia (2032 Olympic host): Eddie Ockenden (Hockey); Jess Fox (Canoeing)
United States (2028 Olympic host): LeBron James (Basketball); Coco Gauff (Tennis)
France (current Olympic host): Florent Manaudou (Swimming); Mélina Robert-Michon (Athletics)
