Greek sailing champion Sofia Bekatorou was named Greece’s flag bearer for the upcoming 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games, the Hellenic Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday in Athens.
With this decision, Bekatorou becomes the first female athlete in Greek Olympic history to have the honor of carrying the Greek national flag in an opening ceremony, the statement added. The decision about Bekatorou was made unanimously.
Sofia Bekatorou, 38, won the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics and the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
She had first participated in Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney.
In Rio she will compete in the Nacra 17 class.
A total of 90 Greek athletes have qualified so far for the Rio Olympics.
“It is a great honor for me, it is a special honor since I am the first female flag bearer for Greece. I have taken part in three Olympics in three different classes and I feel that this is a vindication for my efforts all these years,” Bekatorou said.
“I am also glad that despite problems so far 90 athletes have secured their participation in the forthcoming Olympic Games and I am sure that they will all do their best,” she stated.
PS this is this kind of news that when we read it we usual cheer “Finally!”
