This Friday, canoeist Fernando Pimenta and marcher Ana Cabexinha expressed their pride in being Portugal’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Speaking to RTP before boarding boat No. 60 for the opening ceremony, which will take place on the Seine River, Fernando Pimenta said he was “quite” nervous, especially because “it’s special” to carry the country’s flag.
“With a little bit of nervousness, we stepped out of our comfort zone a little bit and will represent Portugal and the Portuguese people at this great opening ceremony. It is always a great feeling of pride to be at such a moment and to be chosen with Ana to be one of the flag bearers. It is a pleasure to represent all of Portugal and Portugal,” he suggested.
Marching Ana Cabesinha, who will be one of 22 Portuguese athletes attending the opening ceremony, said she was “feeling adrenaline and great emotion”.
“It is a great responsibility and a great pride to be one of the faces representing all of Portugal, so I am very happy and looking forward to starting this whole adventure at the opening ceremony,” he said.
In an unprecedented opening ceremony that will leave the usual Olympic stadium outside, Portugal will share a boat with Qatar and North Korea along a route along the Seine that runs from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero, the end point of the Olympic Games. The show runs from 7:30 p.m. local time (6:30 p.m. in Lisbon) to 11:15 p.m.
João Ribeiro, Messias Baptista and Teresa Portela (canoeing), Filipa Martins and Gabriel Albuquerque (gymnastics), Duarte Cebra and Manuel Grave (equestrian), Fu Yu and Zhieny Shao (table tennis), Eduardo Marques, Carolina João, Diogo Costa and Mafalda The remaining representatives of Portugal at the ceremony will be Pires de Lima (sailing), Miguel Nascimento (swimming) and Thais Pina, Jorge Fonseca, Patricia Sampaio, Barbara Timo, Rochelle Nunes and João Fernando (judo).
At the political level, Portugal will be represented by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pedro Duarte.
The Olympic Games will run until August 11, crowning 329 champions and awarding 1,017 medals.