Commonwealth Games 2022: Jack Laugher and Emily Campbell to lead out Team England
- Published
Weightlifter Emily Campbell and diver Jack Laugher will be England's flag bearers
2022 Commonwealth Games |
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Hosts: Birmingham Dates: 28 July to 8 August |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV with extra streams on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live and Sports Extra; live text and clips online. |
Diver Jack Laugher and weightlifter Emily Campbell will be the flagbearers for Team England at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Birmingham.
Laugher has five Commonwealth gold medals and one silver, along with an Olympic gold from Rio in 2016.
Campbell became the first woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting for Team GB with silver at Tokyo 2020.
The opening ceremony will take place on Thursday from 20:00 BST and will be live on BBC One.
Commonwealth Games explained
Laugher said he wants to "bring it home" for his grandmother, who lived in Dudley, near Birmingham, her whole life before she passed away a few months ago.
"It's been a very emotional time for everybody. Because of Covid I missed her funeral - but she followed my career so closely," he added.
"When I got my MBE from Prince Charles, she was super proud of me and I'm sure she would want me to do well, so I would like to do this for my grandma."
The events will begin on Friday with more than 5,000 athletes representing 72 nations and territories set to compete in 19 sports and 280 medal events.
This is Campbell's second Commonwealth Games after she won a bronze medal on the Gold Coast in 2018, while Laugher is featuring at his third Games, having won two golds and a silver medal at Glasgow 2014 and three gold medals in Australia.
"Being the first female weightlifter ever - and the first weightlifter to be flag bearer since the legend Precious Mackenzie in 1974 - has me bursting with pride and I hope this moment will inspire other young girls to chase their dreams, whether that's in sport or anything else they have ambitions of becoming," said Campbell.
Meanwhile, Team England chef de mission Mark England said an athlete has been sent home from the Games after testing positive for Covid.
The unnamed athlete is asymptomatic and could return in time for their event.
"The athlete has gone home and is being tested through the usual protocols until they attain the required safety values," said England.
"With the levels they are showing we are pretty confident they will be back in play again."
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