Jessica Fox and Eddie Ockenden named Australian flag-bearers for opening ceremony at Paris Olympics

Jessica Fox and Eddie Ockenden have been unveiled as the Australian flag-bearers for the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics. The announcement was made by Aussie chef de mission and former cyclist Anna Meares on Wednesday at the River Seine, two days before the Games are officially opened along the famous Parisian waterway.

The Paris Games will see a landmark opening ceremony which will be staged outside of a stadium for the first time in Olympic history. Instead of the iconic parade of athletes circling around a track, approximately 10,500 competitors will pile onto around 100 boats assigned to national Olympic committees and coast down the River Seine.

French-born Fox, 30, was selected as the Aussie female flag-bearer. In Paris, she is chasing three gold medals in canoe and kayak slalom events at what will be her fourth Games and she is undoubtedly one of the biggest Aussie names competing at this year's Olympics.

She will attempt to defend her Tokyo title in the C1 and is also among the favourites in the K1 and the canoe slalom - a new event at the Games. It is a family affair for the Fox's in Paris, with Jessica's younger sister, Noemie, making her Olympic debut in the canoe slalom.

After being unveiled as Australia's female flag-bearer, Fox said it was a dream come true. “It is probably the greatest moment of my career," she said on Wednesday. “Obviously that French connection is very strong and it is such a wonderful, unique moment to bring the French and the Australian together.”

Australian hockey great Eddie Ockenden - who carried the flag at the 2022 Commonwealth Games - will be Australia's male flag bearer in what will be his fifth Olympics with the Kookaburras. The 37-year-old Tasmanian has already amassed more than 400 international caps and is likely to finish his career as the most-capped Australian in any sport. Olympic gold has eluded him, with silver in a shootout loss in Tokyo not deterring the 37-year-old from pushing on to Paris.

He made his Olympic debut as a 21-year-old at the Beijing 2008 Games, where the Kookaburras won bronze, before helping the team to another bronze medal at London 2012, sixth place at Rio 2016 and silver in Tokyo. He is the only man in Australian hockey history to have made 400 international appearances. Ockenden won World Cup titles with Australia in 2010 and 2014 and was awarded Kookaburras player of the year in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2019.

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Madison de Rozario and Brenden Hall Paralympic flag-bearers

Wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario and swimmer Brenden Hall will be Australia's flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympic Games, in what will be the pair's fifth Games. Learning of the honour bestowed upon them was an emotional moment for both athletes, having made their Paralympics debuts together at the 2008 Beijing Games.

“To go from kids in these big teams to getting to hold the flag, it’s absolutely surreal,” De Rozario said. “We were both so young in Beijing. I was 14 and Brendan was 15 and I feel like this is our family. I couldn’t think of anyone better that I get to do it with because we’ve grown up in this sport together.

“Throughout my career, I’ve spent so much time thinking about what the sport has done for me and what this Australian Paralympic team has done for me. You do get to realise that you also have an impact back and that’s one of the most beautiful things.”

Leaving her debut Games with a silver medal in the 4x100m T53/54 category, de Rozario went on to win two more medals at the 2016 Rio Games and broke through for her maiden Paralympic titles in Tokyo, in the 800m T53 and the marathon T54.

Hall took home two gold medals at the 2012 London Games in the 400m freestyle S9 and the 4x100m freestyle relay 34 points, before doing it again in the 400m at Rio 2016. The three-time gold medallist will equal the swimming team record of five Paralympic Games appearances when he takes to the pool in Paris.

“I was not expecting this at all. I’m still kind of taking it in, my mind is going 100 miles an hour,” Hall said. We started in Beijing pretty much like rookies just doing our thing, having fun. I’m pretty sure I spent as much time in the games room and the computer room as I did at the pool.

“When an opportunity like this is going to come around, it’s probably only ever come around less than once in a lifetime, so there was no way I was going to say no. I’m not really looking forward to regretting things after I finish my career.”

with AAP