Ayim, Hirayama named Canadian flag bearers

Miranda Ayim and Nathan Hirayama will share flagbearer honours for Team Canada at Friday's opening ceremonies for the Tokyo Olympics.

Ayim has been a fixture for the national women's basketball team and will be competing at the Summer Games for the third time, while Hirayama is cocaptain of the men's rugby sevens squad.

“They embody the resilience, perseverance and excellence of Team Canada,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in announcing the news on social media.

While the flag-bearer is typically a star from an individual sport, Monday's selections are symbolic of the teamwork required to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This marks the first time that two athletes have led Canada's delegation into the opening ceremonies at any Olympics.