Wednesday 3 August 2016 18:45, UK
With Andy Murray announced as Team GB's flag bearer at the Rio 2016 opening ceremony, we take a look back at previous Olympians who have held the prestigious honour...
Sir Chris Hoy, London 2012
Six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy was selected to carry Team GB's flag into the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium four years ago, after winning the largest number of votes among members of the British team.
The Scot was a four-time Olympic champion at the time, having won gold in the 2004 Athens Games followed by a further three at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
In fact, the 40-year-old became the first British Olympian in 100 years to claim three gold medals after he won the men's keirin and the individual sprint eight years ago in China, before being given the honour of carrying the flag at the closing ceremony.
But it didn't end there for the most decorated Olympic cyclist of all-time, who went on to claim another two gold medals at London 2012 when he won the keirin and team sprint events, setting a new world record of 42.60 seconds in the process.
Mark Foster, Beijing 2008
Swimming veteran Mark Foster marked his fifth appearance at an Olympic Games in style, when the eight-time world record holder carried the Union Jack at the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony..
Despite failing to win an Olympic medal Foster, who has 47 international medals to his name, became the oldest member of Great Britain's squad to compete at the 2008 Games, aged 38.
The former world champion had all but given up hopes of taken part in another Olympics after being left out of the squad selected for the 2004 Athens Games when he fell an eye-watering 0.01 seconds outside of the qualifying time.
However, four years later his form improved once more as he made an assured Olympic comeback by setting a personal best of 21.96 seconds in the 50 metre freestyle to make Beijing his fifth Olympics after featuring at Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
But unfortunately for Foster he tumbled out of the heats to end his last-gasp bid for a medal in the men's 50m freestyle final at the world's leading sporting event.
Kate Howey MBE, Athens 2004
Double Olympic medallist Kate Howey MBE was awarded the role of flagbearer at the opening ceremony of her fourth Olympics, having previously won a gold and silver medal in judo at the 1992 and 2000 Olympic Games.
Howey became the first woman to carry the flag since equestrian Lucinda Prior-Paler shared the honour with Sebastian Coe in Los Angeles in 1984.
The judoka remains the only British woman to have won two Olympic judo medals, after taking bronze at Barcelona in 1992 and silver at Sydney eight years later.
At the time of leading Great Britain into the 2004 Games, Howey was the only Brit to have competed in judo at four Olympic Games - a feat which Karina Byrant matched when she took part in London 2012.
Sir Steve Redgrave, Sydney 2000 and Atlanta 1996
Sir Steve Redgrave, the only Olympian to have won five gold medals at consecutive Games, was bestowed the privilege of carrying the British flag at two Olympic open ceremonies.
Redgrave, who already had three golds to his name before the Atlanta 1996 Games, went on to claim a fourth with victory in the Men's Coxless Pair in America, alongside Matthew Pinsent.
The most successful rower in Olympic history achieved successive gold medals from 1984 to 2000, as well as winning a bronze at the 1988 Seoul Games where he carried the flag for the first time.
After winning his final Olympic gold in Sydney, where he was flagbearer for the second time, the rowing legend retired from the sport before being presented with a prestigious gold pin by International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch in recognition of his achievement.
