It is the officials in most countries who choose their flagbearers for the opening and closing ceremonies, but Scotland left it to the fellow athletes. Some say it has been done in the past too, but what stood out was the choices the Scots made.

The Scottish athletes chose Kirsty Gilmour, their best ever women’s badminton player, whose stature grew even more, when in November 2021, she revealed that she was gay, becoming the first top star in her sport to do so. She has since been applauded by all Scottish and international badminton fans.