This is a list of flag bearers who have represented Australia at the Olympics.Australia. Olympics at Sport-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Accessed 25 October 2011.
Flag bearers carry the national flag of their country at the opening ceremony and closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.
History The debut of the Parade of Nations occurred during the 1908 Summer Olympics, when Australia and New Zealand were competing as Australasia. Both occasions, the flag bearers were New Zealanders. Thus, the first Australian flag bearer would not appear until George Parker in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. Walker would also become the first Australian flag bearer to win a medal at the same Olympics, winning silver in the 3000 metre walk. The first Australian to win a gold medal while also carrying the flag at the Parade of Nations was rower Bobby Pearce in 1928.
After carrying the flag in 1952, Mervyn Wood became the first Australian to carry the flag twice, when he carried the flag at Australia's first home Olympics in Melbourne in 1956. Australia's first female flag bearer was runner Raelene Boyle in 1976. 1980 would be the first time that Australia would have two flag bearers, one female and one male, in Denise Robertson-Boyd and Max Metzker. These Olympics would be the only time that Australia would march with the Olympic flag due to the Australian government's diplomatic boycott of the Summer Olympics being held in the Soviet Union.
Winter Olympian Colin Coates would become the second, and most recent, Australian to carry the flag at two separate Opening Ceremonies, being chosen to carry the flag in 1976 and 1984.
The lead-up to the selection of flag bearer at the 2012 Summer Olympics was surrounded by debate, led by Olympic gold medal winning beach volleyballer Natalie Cook, who called out the lack of Australian female flag bearers at previous Opening Ceremonies, with only three female flag bearers having been selected in Australian Olympic history. Cook pointed out that, in addition to the gender imbalance, the most recent female flag bearer selected for an Opening Ceremony at the time was diver Jenny Donnet, 20 years prior. Ultimately, then chef-de-mission Nick Green selected Australian women's basketball captain, and three-time Olympic silver medallist, Lauren Jackson for the role. Jackson called the honour one of the biggest of her career, stating, "Obviously a gold medal would be awesome, but I feel like this is something that will never happen again."
2020 would be historic for two reasons. For the second time in history, Australia would have two flag bearers at the same Olympics with swimmer Cate Campbell and basketballer Patty Mills. Mills would become the first Australian of Indigenous heritage to carry the flag at an Olympic ceremony.
The Winter Olympics in 2026 would feature a Parade of Nations across four different locations across Italy during the Opening Ceremony, with selected flag bearers, Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham, carrying the flag at the parade in Livigno. It was also the first time that two Winter Olympic medallists had been selected to carry the flag at an Olympic ceremony.
Selection process Traditionally, Australian Opening Ceremony flag bearers tend to be athletes with multiple Olympic appearances and are designated team leaders in their respective sports, while also exhibiting "courage" and "perseverance". The chef-de-mission of the team, currently Anna Meares and Alisa Camplin for the Summer and Winter teams respectively, selects of Australia's flag bearers.
For the Closing Ceremony, athletes are chosen are based on their performances across the Olympics, with Australia's most successful athletes at that corresponding Olympics usually selected. The lone exception to this was the 2022 Winter Olympics, with Sami Kennedy-Sim chosen to carry the flag due to COVID-19 protocol in place in Beijing, which meant all athletes had to leave 48 hours after their events, including medallists. With Kennedy-Sim being selected from a group of the ten remaining athletes who were still in Beijing, and was chosen based on her leadership and her improvement across her Olympic career. The closing ceremony flag bearers are also selected by the chef-de-mission.
Opening Ceremony flag bearers
Summer Olympics #Games Flag bearer/s Sport Ref1 1920 Antwerp (Walk)2 1924 Paris (Track)3 1928 Amsterdam 4 1932 Los Angeles 5 1936 Berlin 6 1948 London 7 1952 Helsinki ~ 1956 Melbourne 8 1960 Rome9 1964 Tokyo10 1968 Mexico City11 1972 Munich(Sprint)12 1976 Montreal(Track)13 1980 Moscow(Track)14Max Metzker15 1984 Los Angeles16 1988 Seoul17 1992 Barcelona18 1996 Atlanta19 2000 Sydney20 2004 Athens21 2008 Beijing22 2012 London23 2016 Rio de Janeiro24 2020 TokyoCate Campbell25Patty Mills26 2024 ParisJessica Fox(Slalom)27Eddie Ockenden
Flag bearers by sport +NumberSportOlympics41928, 1952, 1956, 20081920, 1924, 1976, 198032000, 2012, 20201932, 1980, 20201968, 1984, 199621988, 20241972, 20241936, 20161960, 20041199219641948
Winter Olympics # Games Flag bearer/s SportRef1 1960 Squaw Valley - 1964 InnsbruckNo flag bearer selected2 1968 Grenoble3 1976 Innsbruck4 1980 Lake Placid~ 1984 Sarajevo5 1988 Calgary6 1992 Albertville7 1994 Lillehammer(Aerials)8 1998 Nagano9 2002 Salt Lake City(Moguls)10 2006 Turin(Aerials)11 2010 Vancouver(Halfpipe)12 2014 Sochi(Cross)13 2018 PyeongchangScotty James(Halfpipe)14 2022 BeijingLaura Peel(Aerials)15Brendan Kerry16 2026 Milano CortinaJakara Anthony(Moguls)17Matt Graham(Moguls)
Flag bearers by sport +NumberSportOlympics61994, 2002, 2006, 2022, 202641976, 1984, 1988, 199232010, 2014, 201821968, 19801202219981960
Closing Ceremony flag bearers
Summer Olympics GamesFlag bearer/sSportRef 1964 Tokyo 1968 Mexico City 1972 Munich 1976 Montreal 1980 Moscow(Sprint) 1984 Los Angeles 1988 Seoul(Track) 1992 Barcelona 1996 Atlanta 2000 Sydney 2004 Athens 2008 Beijing 2012 London 2016 Rio de Janeiro 2020 TokyoMat Belcher 2024 ParisKaylee McKeownMatthew Wearn
Flag bearers by sport +NumberSportOlympics71964, 1972, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 202432012, 2020, 202421996, 20161968, 19761198419881980
Winter Olympics Games Flag bearer/s SportRef 1992 AlbertvilleCameron Medhurst 2002 Salt Lake City 2006 Turin (Moguls) 2010 Vancouver (Aerials) 2014 Sochi (Aerials) 2018 PyeongchangJarryd Hughes(Cross) 2022 BeijingSami Kennedy-Sim(Cross) 2026 Milano CortinaDanielle Scott(Aerials)Cooper Woods(Moguls)
Flag bearers by sport +NumberSportOlympics62006, 2010, 2014, 2022, 20261201820021992
See also Australia at the Olympics Australia at the Winter Olympics
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