The German flag is carried in Tokyo by Laura Ludwig and Patrick Hausding

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Patrick Hausding (left) and Laura Ludwig carry the German flag at the opening ceremony in Tokyo

Photo:

Michael Kappeler / dpa

Beach volleyball Olympic champion Laura Ludwig and record European water jump champion Patrick Hausding will lead the German Olympic team as the flag bearers to the Kasumigaoka National Stadium in Tokyo at the opening ceremony.

They received the most votes in the election carried out by the German Olympic Sports Confederation with its media partners ARD, ZDF, Eurosport and »Bild«.

The athletes of the German team also voted.

The DOSB presented the flag bearer duo on Thursday.

For the first time there are mixed flag-bearer pairs at the Olympics.

With this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) wants to set an example for more gender equality.

At the start of the 2016 Games in Rio, table tennis player Timo Boll led the team into the stadium.

The IOC had given all teams this option.

Ludwig won gold in 2016

The 35-year-old Ludwig had won Olympic gold five years ago with her partner at the time, Kira Walkenhorst. In Tokyo she starts alongside Margareta Kozuch. Hausding has been one of the world class in diving for years. The 32-year-old won silver in the synchronized jumping from the 10-meter tower in Beijing in 2008 and bronze in the individual from the three-meter board in 2016. In a long career, this will be the last Olympic appearances for the future teacher Hausding in Tokyo.

The DOSB nominated a total of five candidates.

In addition to Ludwig, the women were able to choose from the dressage rider Isabell Werth, gymnast Elisabeth Seitz, rower Annekathrin Thiele and tennis star Angelique Kerber.

Kerber canceled the Olympic start because of an injury.

In addition to Hausding, table tennis player Dimitrij Ovtcharov, gymnast Andreas Toba, national hockey player Tobias Hauke ​​and rowing veteran Richard Schmidt were in the men's race.

Because of the corona pandemic, no spectators are allowed to attend the opening ceremony on Friday (1 p.m., live ticker SPIEGEL.de).

hba / dpa