Howey flies the flag
Kate Howey, Britain's most famous judo player, will carry the Union Jack flag in tomorrow night's opening ceremony.
Howey is the first woman for 20 years to lead out the team in what will be her fourth and last Olympics.
"It's nice to get a bit of recognition for the sport of judo, which doesn't always get a lot of headlines." she said.
A vote of fellow British competitors handed her the job of carrying the flag in the three-and-a-half hour ceremony in front of 77,000 spectators and a host of VIPs.
"I can't believe it, I'm still shaking," said Howey.
Triple-gold medal rower Matthew Pinsent carried the flag in Sydney four years ago.
The last woman to lead the British team into the stadium was three- day eventer Lucinda Prior-Palmer, who shared the honour with Sebastian Coe in Los Angeles in 1984.
