With the Paris Olympics closing in on us, and the Australian team being announced, it’s time to look at who could be awarded the honour of leading the nation out as the flag bearer for 2024.
Since 1908, Australia has had a proud history of having flag bearers leading the hundreds of athletes at the opening ceremony of each Olympic Games. From Henry Murray in London that year, to the duel-flag bearers of Cate Campbell and Patty Mills at Tokyo.
As of early April, Australia’s Olympic Committee still haven’t announced who will do the duties for 2024 in Paris, which has left us to provide Australians with some strong candidates this time around.
There have been some calls for Olympic gold medalist Jess Fox to lead Australia as the flag bearer, especially after fellow Olympian Harry Garside claimed how good of a role model she is and how much she has impacted his career to date.
“I could hit up (Jess Fox) and ask her about mindset, ask her about certain things, and she would always give me her time of day,” Garside said back in January.
“I really hope she’s a flag bearer this time.
“I think to walk behind her, if I’m able to go to the opening ceremony provided I’m not fighting close to it, would be such an amazing thing.”
So with Fox one of the strongest contenders to be flag bearer at Paris, here who else should be in the running for one of the prestigious honours anything athlete could be bestowed.
Australian flag bearer: The five potential contenders
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Jess Fox
Jessica Fox, for those that have been living under a rock, is an Australian Olympic champion slalom canoeist who will be attending her fourth Olympic Games this year.
Her Olympic journey to date has been decorated, winning a total of nine medals (an average of three per Olympics), including six bronze, two silver and one gold.
As mentioned earlier, she has been the main name brought up when the conversation of the potential Australian flag bearer has come up, with boxer Harry Garside mentioning to Wide World of Sports that he would be honoured to walk behind her as a flag bearer.
Even former Australian flag bearer, Anna Meares, who is the Chef de Mission – the person in charge of the Australian team at the Olympics – says Fox should be a strong option for Australia.
“She’s a wonderful human being, let alone the accomplishments that she’s achieved through sport,” Meares said back in November 2023.
Emma McKeon
Most Olympic flag bearers are very accomplished athletes, and you’ll be very hard pressed to find a more decorated Australian Olympian than Emma McKeon, because she is our greatest performer on the big stage.
Having only gone to two Olympic Games so far – Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 – McKeon is already Australia’s most successful Olympian ever, and holds the record for the greatest female swimming performance at a single Olympics (Tokyo 2020), racing away with four gold medals and three bronze.
Swimmers have a strong history in being Australia’s flag bearers especially at the closing ceremonies, but surprisingly there has only ever been two that have held the flag at the opening ceremony in Cate Campbell in 2021 and Boy Charlton in 1932.
Mackenzie Arnold
The Matildas have become Australia’s favourite team since their stunning performance at the women’s World Cup last year. So with them back in action at another major tournament, why wouldn’t one of their best player lead out the nation?
Mackenzie Arnold has become a household name across Australia after her goal saving performance against France in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. She would also become the first football player both male or female to be a flag bearer for Australia at the opening ceremony.
When it comes to storylines, this would certainly be one of the better ones considering the fandom that is already associated with the Matildas, but also the continual growth of this team’s popularity that will have led to one of their best player leading the nation out at an Olympic Games.
Kyle Chalmers
Australian 100-metre swimmer Kyle Chalmers is one of the most notable Olympians for Australia going to Paris, and with his previous gold medal and numerous podium finishes at the Games, Chalmers could be in contention to be the flag bearer.
At only 25 years of age, Chalmers has competed at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 in the 100m freestyle, and relay events. He almost created history at Tokyo, trying to become the fifth male swimmer to defend their gold medal from the previous Olympics, but finished second by .06 of a second.
Considering his age and the fact that he probably has another Olympic Games in him, the Australian Olympic Committee could look past him this time around; potentially saving him for Los Angeles in 2028. But at Tokyo, Australia had two flag bearers at the opening ceremony, so maybe that’s the most likely way Chalmers becomes a flag bearer.
Eddie Ockenden
This is our ‘smokey’ selection for a potential Australian flag bearer in Kookaburras legend and captain Eddie Ockenden.
Ockenden has played over 400 games for Australia’s field hockey side, participating at four Olympic Games since Beijing, and four hockey World Cups. During this incredible run he’s won two bronze, and a silver at the Olympics, and two golds and a bronze at the World Cup.
Every Australian loves an underdog, and considering we’ve seen some of the biggest names in Australian Olympic history carry the flag, maybe someone who has toiled away out of the bright lights of the pool or track deserve a chance at being Australia’s flag bearer at Paris 2024.
