Flags are up and the Games begin

Aug 07, 2008
Monika Hanley

BEIJING- The order of this year’s Olympic parade of nations takes a fun linguistic twist. Generally, with the exception of Greece who has the honor of going first, the nations are presented alphabetically.

However, this year the nations will be presented in Chinese alphabetical order, or the number of brush strokes needed to make the first syllable of the countries name.

 Latvian Javelin thrower Vadims Vasilevskis has the honor of carrying the Olympic flag for the second time the Latvian Olympic Committee decided the day before the ceremony. He carried the flag in the 2004 Athens Games as well.

 This year seems to be the year of basketball with the sports flag bearers from China, Germany, Argentinaand Russiaas well as Sarunas Jasikevicius of the Lithuanian team.

 Estoniawill be represented by Martin Padar a Judo champion.

The following information is purely preliminary as order can chance at any time before the ceremony.

Estoniais due to appear 13th after Irelandand before Andorra, although some sources list Estonia as number 161 after Ireland and before Haiti.

 Latvia is to be at spot 115 after Tanzaniaand before the United Kingdom

 Lithuaniais scheduled to be presented as number 57 after Indonesiaand before Niger.

The Opening Ceremony is to being at 8 p.m. Beijing time on August 08. The ceremony is expected to last until 11:30 p.m.

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