In 2018 in Peyongchang the honor of Belgian flag bearer was reserved for Seppe Smits, the snowboarder is missing this year due to injuries.
Since last year’s Summer Games in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed 2 flag bearers per country. The national Olympic committees can decide for themselves, but if they go for a duo, it must be a man and woman.
Hendrickx (22), 16th at the Games in Pyeongchang, said 1.5 week ago that she would consider it an honor to carry the Belgian flag during the opening ceremony. “But I certainly do not want to claim that flag. It is a greater honor to be asked than to beg for it,” said the number five of the 2021 World Cup and the number four of the past European Championship.
Marchant (24) will compete in the slalom, giant slalom and super-G at his first Winter Games. The slalom specialist was not there at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, after he suffered a serious injury to his left leg a year earlier.
Marchant, who finished seventh in the World Cup slalom in Val d’Isère last month, was fifth in the slalom in Zagreb on January 5, 2020, the best result ever achieved by a Belgian in an Alpine Skiing World Cup.
Belgium is the ninth country to be featured during the parade in the Vogelnest stadium. Hendrickx and Marchant will parade with the Belgian tricolor after Jamaica and before Japan.
Marchant has been in Beijing since Sunday, Hendrickx will leave the airport in Zaventem on Wednesday. Team Belgium is represented in China by 19 athletes. They compete in 9 sports.
