Andy Murray to be Team GB’s flag bearer for Rio Olympics opening ceremony

Fresh from winning Wimbledon for a second time, Andy Murray has been chosen as Team GB’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics on Friday.

Murray, who is aiming to repeat his London 2012 Olympic success in Rio, said that carrying the flag ahead of the British team would be one of the highlights of his career and represented the biggest honour in sport.

The Scot, appearing at his third Games, was chosen ahead of other contenders including the boxer Nicola Adams and the cyclist Bradley Wiggins. He will lead a British contingent reduced by the fact that many of them start competition the following day.

“This is my third Olympic Games and it is a very special competition for me. I obviously have great memories of London and I am 100% focused on winning here in Rio. The privilege of being the flag bearer is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life and will certainly be one of the highlights of my career,” Murray said. “I hope to do the team proud on Friday and wish all of the British athletes the best of luck for the Games ahead.”

The cyclist Chris Hoy led the team out in London before Britain’s best performance in the Olympics for more than a century. The funding agency UK Sport has set Team GB a target of beating its total of 48 medals in Beijing 2008, which would represent its best performance at an away Games.

Bill Sweeney, the BOA chief executive, said this week that as few as 55 British athletes might take part in the opening ceremony. Those who begin competing the following day will not take part, while many of the 366-strong team remain at a holding camp in Belo Horizonte.

The chef de mission, Mark England, said the Scot had been partly chosen for his inspirational qualities. “The conviction with which Andy spoke to me about the honour of carrying the flag only underlined why he is such an exceptional individual, and absolutely the right choice,” he said. “When I asked Andy to lead our team out it was received with a humility and grace that is befitting of the values of Team GB. It was an emotional moment for him personally, and for this team,” he added.