CANADA NAMES FLAG BEARERS

Women's basketball player Miranda Ayim and men's rugby sevens co-captain Nathan Hirayama will be Canada's flag bearers at this week's opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Committee said on Monday. The July 23-Aug. 8 Tokyo Games will mark the third and final Olympics for Ayim. “I feel incredibly honoured to lead Team Canada alongside Nathan,” Ayim said in a news release. The fourth-ranked women's basketball team will start their quest for a first Olympic medal on July 26 against Serbia. Olympic debutant Hirayama has been a key member of Canada's sevens teams since joining the squad in 2006 as an 18-year-old. “I've been watching the Olympics for my entire life and understand the honour and privilege that comes with being the flag bearer,” Hirayama said.