Bernama
02/07/2024
KUALA LUMPUR: National diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises and sailing athlete Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif were selected as bearers of the Jalur Gemilang at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on 26 July.
The president of the Malaysian Olympic Council (MOM) Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said the selection of the two athletes represented members of the national contingent consisting of athletes making their debut and experienced on the Olympic stage.
"After examining the shortlisted athletes and taking into account various factors including the competition schedule, the Executive Board has chosen Bertrand and Nur Shazrin to carry the Jalur Gemilang during the athletes' parade.
"Although Bertrand was selected based on his debut appearance, Nur Shazrin is an experienced athlete who will be making her third appearance. In celebrating the future, we embrace the present," he said in a statement here on Monday.
Bertrand, 19, an athlete born in Sarawak, was the first national athlete to qualify for Paris on merit in July last year.
He became the fourth Sarawakian to be honored as the bearer of the Jalur Gemilang on the Olympic stage, after athletics athlete, Kuda Ditta (Rome 1960), diver Bryan Nickson Lomas (Athens 2004) and national diving queen Datuk Pandelela Rinong in London in the 2012 edition.
Both excelled at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games held last year after Bertrand won the bronze medal in the 10m synchronized platform while Nur Shazrin won gold in the dinghy event, which qualified her for Paris.
Johor-born Nur Shazrin, on the other hand, made her third appearance on the Olympic stage after Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 and was the first sailor to be honored to carry the flag during the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony is scheduled to be held on the Seine River with boats carrying the athletes for each country's delegation.
The procession will reach the end of its six kilometer route in front of the Trocadero, where elements of Olympic protocol and the final show will take place.
As of today, the Malaysian contingent consists of 25 athletes from eight sports, namely archery, badminton, aquatics, cycling, shooting, golf, sailing and weightlifting.
