Olympics: Emma Meesseman and Jérôme Guéry are Belgium's flag bearers at opening ceremony
Basketball player Emma Meesseman and horse rider Jérôme Guéry will be the Belgian flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday, the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC) announced on Wednesday.
Meesseman is the star of the Belgian Cats, the women's national basketball team, who became European champions last year. At the last Olympics, the Cats lost in the quarter-finals against Japan. Meesseman is the first Belgian basketball player to carry the flag.
“I don't think I would have ever dreamed, first of all, of being able to experience my second Games already, let alone of carrying the flag,” she said. “We are already super proud to play for our country. It's a super honour that I then get to symbolically represent basketball, our team and all of Team Belgium by carrying the flag, with Jérôme!”
Back on the map
Guéry took bronze with the equestrian jumping team at the Tokyo Games three years ago with his horse Quel Homme de Hus. He was part of the team in Rio in 2016 and fnished second in the World Championships in 2022.
Guéry was also delighted with the news. “I was honoured that they thought of me for this, it means a lot to me," he said. "Sharing this experience with Emma is really great. I will probably look short next to her, but I will stand on the tips of my toes to wave the flag with her. In 1984, Edgar Henri Cuepper was the last Belgian equestrian flag bearer. It’s an honour to put the equestrian sport back on the map.”
#FlandersNewsService | Emma Meesseman during a friendly against Spain © BELGA PHOTO VIRGINIE LEFOUR
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