Jones the Chosen One

Record-breaking breaststroker Leisel Jones has been announced as the Australian flag bearer at tomorrow night’s Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.

Speaking outside the Melbourne Exhibition Centre this afternoon, Jones told of her surprise when informed just minutes earlier that she would be given the task of leading the Australian team onto the MCG tomorrow evening.

“It was a bit of a shock. They told me yesterday that I was one of six or seven athletes that had been nominated. I nervously waited yesterday, I just didn’t want to go to bed, I kept thinking maybe they’d call.

“So this morning when they hadn’t rang me I thought it probably wasn’t me, and that’s fine. Then 15 minutes ago I got the call-up telling me that I’d been selected, so it’s an absolute honour and I’m still a bit stunned,” Jones said.

The 21-year-old has continued her domination of the breaststroke at these Games, claiming all three individual events on offer and four gold medals overall. Jones also set an astonishing world record in last Monday’s final of the women’s 100m breaststroke and clocked the fastest breaststroke relay split in history during the 4x100m medley on the last night of swimming competition.

When asked which was the greater honour- her achievements in the pool over the past week or being chosen as Australia’s flag bearer- Jones was in no doubt.

“Carrying the flag, there’s so many athletes on the Commonwealth Games team, there’s hundreds and hundreds of them and to be selected out of all those people is something that is so incredible,” Jones said.

“It’s such an honour to be even nominated, but to be asked to carry the flag, I’m so proud to be an Australian and it’s an absolutely privilege to me.”

•  Have a view on this story? Send us your feedback!