Daley and Glover confirmed as Team GB flagbearers at Paris Olympics

By Sports Desk July 24, 2024

Tom Daley and Helen Glover have been confirmed as Team GB's flagbearers for Friday's opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics. 

Daley is set to become the first British diver to compete in five Games, having come out of retirement to compete in Tokyo three years ago.

The four-time Olympic medallist is the defending champion in the men’s 10-metre synchronised diving event and will defend his title alongside team-mate Noah Williams. 

Glover won the coxless pairs gold in both London and Rio and has come out of retirement at 38 to compete in her fourth Olympic Games.

“My dad would not have ever believed I would be a flag bearer one day,” Daley said.

“He always considered flag bearers to be Olympic icons and legends. I think he would be so incredibly proud of me being a flag bearer of Team GB.”

An Olympian at the age of 14 in Beijing, Daley won gold alongside Matty Lee in Tokyo to add to three bronze medals he has achieved in individual and synchronised 10-metre events.

“This Olympics is something I would consider to be a bonus Olympics," said Daley. 

"This Olympics has been about enjoying it, embracing every moment and taking everything in as much as I can. To be flagbearer too is just the icing on the cake."

Glover will compete in Paris as part of the women’s four.

She became the first mother to row for Great Britain at the Olympics when she finished fourth alongside Polly Swann in the women's pairs in Tokyo four years ago. 

“I just love the Olympics and have always loved what it stood for. But I still pinch myself that I am an Olympian, let alone doing something that I just saw as going down in history.

“To be flag bearer for a nation, it’s an honour. You can work hard to become an Olympian but this is bestowed upon me by somebody else who has seen that hard work. That just means so much.”

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    Every four years, players across the ATP and WTA Tours get another shot at major glory.

    And with three grand slams already down in 2024, the Paris Olympics provides that extra shot in the arm as players across the board gun for gold.

    The big names are descending on Roland-Garros for a second time this season, with the famous venue of the French Open playing host to the Olympic tennis tournament.

    Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal, two dominant forces on the Parisian clay, will be in action, while Andy Murray, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, is making his final appearance before retirement.

    Novak Djokovic is also set to feature, while Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff will play at their first Olympics, though Jannik Sinner, the men's world number one, has had to withdraw due to illness.

    Here, we outline the main storylines ahead of the tournament starting on Saturday.

    Murray's last hurrah

    This will be it for Murray. The three-time grand slam champion, and former world number one, is finally bowing out.

    The 37-year-old, who won gold in the men's singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as claiming silver in the mixed doubles at the first of those Games, confirmed his impending retirement on Tuesday.

    Murray is the only man with multiple singles gold medals since tennis returned to the Olympic program in 1988. He will become the first British athlete to appear in four singles draws at the Games, too.

    He is one of just eight players in the Open Era to have won 200 or more matches at majors, while only Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer have won more ATP 1000 matches than Murray since the format's introduction in 1990.

    The Scot will bow out as the British player with the most singles titles on the ATP Tour in the Open Era (46).

    The Dream Team

    There are so many stars for fans in Paris to take in, but arguably the main attraction will be the doubles dream team of Nadal and his heir apparent Alcaraz, who are pairing up to represent Spain.

    This team counts the record champion at Roland-Garros (14) in Nadal, and the reigning champion in Alcaraz.

    While four-time major champion Alcaraz is featuring at his first Olympics, Nadal is a veteran campaigner at the Games, having scooped gold in the singles at Beijing 2008 and in the doubles in Rio eight years ago.

    Nadal is one of two players to secure an Olympic gold in both the men's singles and doubles since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, alongside Nicolas Massu (both at Athens 2004).

     

    Like Murray, Nadal is set to bow out in the coming months, and what better way to go than winning gold with the player who could well go on to match his feats?

    Nadal's great rival Djokovic, meanwhile, will surely also be playing at his final Games.

    Djokovic will become the player with the joint-most appearances in men's singles at the Olympics (five, equalling Yen Hsun Lu) since the sport returned to the Games 36 years ago.

    The Serbian is the player with the most matches played (19) and joint-most matches won (13, level with Federer) at the Olympics since 1988.

    Swiatek's Roland-Garros return

    Women's world number one Swiatek loves Roland-Garros just as much as Nadal does.

    Four of the 23-year-old's five grand slam titles have come at the venue, including her success earlier this year. In fact, Swiatek has won four of the past five French Open titles.

    Swiatek lost in the second round in Tokyo, but given her dominance in Paris in recent years, she has to be considered the favourite in the women's draw.

    Indeed, only Margaret Court (95.2%) has a higher winning percentage at Roland-Garros than Swiatek (94.6%) in the Open Era.

     

    That being said, the incumbent world number one has won gold at the Olympics only twice: Steffi Graf in 1988 and Justine Henin in 2004.

    Aryna Sabalenka rivalled Swiatek throughout this season's clay-court swing. The Belarusian, who will be competing under a neutral banner, lost in the second round in Tokyo three years ago. 

    Gauff flying the flag

    There was heartbreak for Gauff three years ago, as she missed out on what would have been her maiden Games after testing positive for COVID-19.

    All being well, that won't be an issue this time around, and the 20-year-old will have the honour of bearing the United States flag at Friday's opening ceremony. She will be the first tennis player to fly the flag for Team USA.

    Gauff, the world number two, has reached the quarters, the final, the quarters again and the semi-finals in her last four appearances at the French Open - will she finally break her Roland-Garros duck?

    If she does, then Gauff will join Graf (1988), Jennifer Capriati (1992), Lindsay Davenport (1996) and Venus Williams (2000) as the women to win Olympic gold before turning 21.

    Former world number one Naomi Osaka, who lit the torch in Tokyo, should not be discounted either.

    She is looking to become the second Japanese player to secure an Olympic medal since tennis' return to the Games, after Kei Nishikori's bronze in Rio.

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    The 27-year-old, who was eliminated in the first round at the 2020 Tokyo Games, pointed out that she has so far engaged in some solid practice sessions since her arrival in Mulhouse, France, as she hopes to go at least one better on this occasion.

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    “I am really working on grounding myself and looking inward. If the plan doesn’t work, we just scrap the plan and then start over,” Edghill said in an Instagram post, as she hopes to break barriers and possibly create opportunities for other Guyanese players.

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  • 'Right time' for Murray to retire in Paris: 'I want to' 'Right time' for Murray to retire in Paris: 'I want to'

    Andy Murray is in no doubt this is "the right time" to retire as he bows out after the Paris Olympics.

    There had long been speculation around how long Murray would continue to compete, with his career beset by injury issues that limited him to three major titles.

    But heading to France this week, the two-time Olympic champion confirmed the Games would be his final tournament.

    In an interview with BBC Sport, Murray revealed only now is he entirely content with a decision that had long seemed likely.

    "I didn't feel that way a few months ago when I thought that this is when I was going to stop," Murray said.

    "I didn't want to. Now I want to. I know it is the right time for me."

    Murray is still managing a back injury, but he is in line to compete in both the singles and doubles events, teaming up with Dan Evans in pursuit of another medal.

    "Me and Dan made the commitment to each other, that is what we will prioritise," he added.

    "That gives the team and us the best opportunity to get a medal.

    "My back is still not perfect. I didn't feel great in the build-up to Wimbledon and during it. I feel better here."

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