The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) has confirmed that Isaquias Guimaraes Queiroz will be one of the country’s flagbearers at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
The Tokyo 2020 canoe single 1000m champion will be joined by rugby star Raquel Kochhann in the parade of athletes on a boat on the River Seine.
This is the first time the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games is not taking place inside a stadium.
Queiroz will represent a total of 277 Brazilian athletes on July 26, including six Canoe Sprint and two Canoe Slalom stars.
“I am very happy to be able to represent Bahia, the Northeast and the whole of Brazil,” Queiroz told COB.
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“It's going to be an incredible ceremony. Mainly because it can represent my sport, still shy in Brazil.
“Surely, after Paris, people will have more knowledge about this great sport.”
The 30-year-old Queiroz is a four-time Olympic medallist and is also a seven-time world champion.
At Rio 2016, he won C1 1000m and C2 1000m silver and added a bronze in the C1 200m, becoming the first Brazilian athlete to win three medals at a single edition of the Olympic Games.
He was honoured for his performance at the home Games by being chosen as the flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony.
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Queiroz will compete in the C1 1000m and C2 500m at Paris 2024.
“When I look back to see the reflection of my achievements throughout my career, I consider myself one of the great athletes of the Brazil team,” Queiroz told the Brazilaian Canoe Conffederation.
“But I hope to get to the Olympics in Paris, and win two more medals, that would be incredible for me and then, yes, I will be able to say that I am a great athlete, but of course, we have several [athletes] from each sports modality that represent our colours.”
Picture by COB
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