Sue Bird, Eddy Alvarez chosen as USA Olympic flag-bearers

TOKYO, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Five-time Olympian Sue Bird and baseball infielder Eddy Alvarez have been chosen as flag-bearers of Team USA at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games on Friday, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced.

This is the first time that the U.S. team has two flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) encouraged the delegations to have one male and one female to carry the flag as a symbol of gender parity.

Bird, 40, is looking to win her fifth gold medal with the women's basketball team, and Alvarez, 31, has played with the Miami Marlins and won a silver medal in speedskating at the 2014 Winter Olympics.