Sydney snowboarder Ben Tudhope will become Australia’s youngest flag bearer for a Winter or Summer Paralympic Games for the Closing Ceremony at Sochi at the age of 14.
“It’s amazing. This whole experience – the atmosphere in the (Athletes’) Village, getting a top-10 in the snowboard cross – and now this,” Tudhope said. “I’m over the moon, this is out of dreams. It’s the icing cake.”
Chef de Mission Chriss Nunn said Tudhope had been chosen for other reasons beyond his talents for snowboarding.
“It was pretty simple to choose him,” Nunn said. “What he’s done for the team off-field when we were struggling, the joy and happiness he brings has been incredible.’
“It is such a privilege to have him part of this team. I can tell you if every family in Australia had a Ben Tudhope, we’d be a better country.”
Ben does not turn 15 until December, he was the youngest competitor from the 550 in Sochi from 45 countries. The second youngest was Great Britain’s Millie Knight, 15, a vision-impaired alpine skier who carried the Union Jack in the Opening Ceremony on March 7.