Some countries opt not to have male and female flagbearers despite IOC plea

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Opening Ceremony - Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - July 23, 2021. Athletes enter the stadium during the opening ceremony REUTERS/Marko Djurica

TOKYO (Reuters) - A few countries stood out at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games on Friday for having only either a man or a woman bearing the flag, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) encouraged both male and female flagbearers.

Ethiopian male swimmer Abdelmalik Muktar and Tajikistani male judoka Temur Rakhimov waved the flags of their respective countries, despite having a mixed delegation.