SA flag-bearer: Wayde van Niekerk

Cape Town - South Africa's star 400m runner Wayde van Niekerk will have the honour of carrying the nation's flag at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony.

van Niekerk follows in the footsteps on Caster Semenya who do likewise at the London Games in 2012.

Van Niekerk, who is the only man to have run under 10 seconds in the 100m, under 20 seconds in the 200m and under 44 seconds for the 400m, is favoured to win gold in his specialist event - the 400m - in Rio.