Kazakhstan picks flag bearers for upcoming Tokyo Olympics

2012 London gold medalist Olga Rypakova and captain of the Kazakh national boxing team Kamshybek Kunkabayev were honored to bear the national flag at the sports event of the year.

Their candidatures were proposed by the Athletes Commission of the National Olympics Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

This will be the four time Olga Rypakova, one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Kazakhstan’s history, will take part in the Olympic Games. She is a silver medalist of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, gold medalist of the 2021 London Olympics and bronze medalist of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Rypakova said she is proud to bear the national flag at the Tokyo Olympics. «Three of 16 gold medals won by Kazakhstan at the Olympic Games were clinched by women. I hope that the number of women in sport will grow,» she noted.

Kamshybek Kunbayev is the capital of Kazakhstan’s national boxing team. He is a two-time silver medalist of the Asian boxing championships, two-time medalist of the world championships. This will be his first time at the Olympic Games ever.

He also expressed his gratitude to the National Olympics Committee for believing in him and honoring with the mission of bearing the national flag in Tokyo.

In total, Kazakhstani athletes scored 96 Olympic licenses in 27 sports for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Kazakhstan’s national Olympic team consists of 95 athletes.