Jaromír Jágr named Czech Republic’s flag-bearer at Winter Olympics

Czech hockey star Jaromír Jágr will carry the Czech national flag at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver on February 12, Frantisek Dvořák, head of the Czech Olympic team, told journalists late Wednesday. At the Winter Olympics in Turin four years ago, the Czech flag-bearer was speed-skater Martina Sábliková who is now considered to be one of the hot candidates for gold. Jágr is the most successful of the 92 members of the Czech team that will compete in Vancouver, with a gold medal from Nagano and a bronze from Turin. A native of Kladno, he currently plays for Russia’s Omsk in the Kontinental Hockey League.