Australian Pistol athlete Elena Galiabovitch has described carrying the Olympic flag at the Tokyo Olympic Games Opening Ceremony tonight as the greatest honour in her sporting career.
Representing Oceania, Galiabovitch was one of six front line medical workers who commenced the Olympic flag relay before the flag was ultimately raised in the Olympic Stadium where it will fly for the duration of the Games.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would ever help carry the Olympic flag at an Opening Ceremony,” said the 31-year-old doctor.
“I’m humbled and honoured to have been invited to participate in carrying the Olympic flag,” she added.
“Not only am I representing the continent of Oceania and all its athletes, but I am privileged to be representing the Australian Olympic Team, the 15-member Australian Shooting team, and all front-line medical workers who have done such a magnificent job under very difficult circumstances over the past 18 months,” she added.
Galiabovitch, who is training to become a urological surgeon, has spent the past year on Melbourne’s medical front line fighting the COVID-19 pandemic either in hospital wards or at drive-in testing clinics while continuing her Olympic training where she will compete in the women’s 10m Air Pistol and women’s 25m Pistol.
Australian Chef de Mission, Ian Chesterman, said Galiabovitch joins a rare group of Australian athletes to have carried the Olympic flag at an Opening Ceremony.
“It was 21 years ago at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games when eight of Australia’s greatest Olympians namely Murray Rose, Marjorie Jackson, Michael Wenden, Bill Roycroft, Liane Tooth, Gillian Rolton, Lorraine Crapp and Nick Green carried the Olympic flag around the Sydney Olympic Stadium,” said Chesterman.
“Elena has contributed to the health and welfare of Australians and Australian communities through the pandemic while training for the Tokyo Olympics.
“We are proud to have her in this Olympic team and applaud her recognition in being a flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony.
“It was also a poignant moment for her family especially her dad, Vladimir Galiabovitch, who has also been her Pistol coach at the 2016 Rio Olympics and again her at these Tokyo Games,” he added.
