News For the first time ever, fans and German athletes have been invited to vote on who will carry the German flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games From 424 nominated athletes for Rio 2016, the German National Olympic Committee has selected five as potential flagbearers for the opening ceremony on 5 August The five athletes are all veteran Olympians who will be looking to add to their haul of medals in Rio Table tennis player and two-time Olympic medallist Timo Boll, who will compete in his fifth Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic hockey champion Moritz Fürste, who is captain of the German team and will play in his third Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic eventing team champion Ingrid Klimke, who will enter her fifth Olympic Games and will compete in the eventing individual and team events Beijing 2008 Olympic modern pentathlon champion Lena Schöneborn, who will participate in her third Olympic Games London 2012 Olympic women's team sprint cycling champion Kristina Vogel, who will compete in her second Olympic Games On 23 July the German Olympic committee launched a website (www deutsche-olympiamannschaft de/de/fahnentraeger html), where people can vote for one of the five nominated athletes Additionally, the German athletes at Rio 2016 will vote for their flagbearer Voting is open until 23:59 on 2 August (German time) Until now the German delegation has always selected the flagbearer The winner of the vote will be officially announced on 4 August in Germany House in the Barra da Tijuca district of Rio de Janeiro