Who is Eddie Ockenden? Australian hockey legend named as Olympic flag bearer

Australia has officially named its flag bearers for the 2024 Paris Olympics, with two fan favourites given the opening honours. 

The flags will be carried by kayaker Jessica Fox, and hockey legend Eddie Ockenden, the latter of which will be appearing in his fifth Olympic Games. 

Ockenden will become the first ever hockey player to play five Olympics for the country, as he searches for his fourth Olympic medal, and hoping for an elusive Gold. 

Who is Eddie Ockenden? Australian hockey legend named as Olympic flag bearer 

Ockenden is an Australian hockey player, set to play in his fifth Olympic Games, and carry the flag during the opening ceremony. 

Age 37, the Kookaburra's captain previously played in Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo, winning two Bronze medals and one Silver, as well as a sixth-placed finish in 2016. 

He has also won two World Titles and four Commonwealth Games Gold medals, since making his international debut in 2006, and he was also the flag bearer for Australia during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

With over 400 caps for Australia, Ockenden is the clear most capped player in Australian history, claiming the honour four years ago when he passed Jamie Dwyer. 

"In the scheme of things, it doesn’t feel like it means a lot because it is just a number of games, but when I sit back and think about it, it means a lot to have been in this team for this amount of time," Ockenden said at the time. 

"I reflect on the guys that I have been able to play alongside and the friendships and my best mates in this team, so I think that is really cool... it’s a special team and I love being part of the Kookaburras so that’s what means the most to me.

"There is no real secret, I have just kept it relatively simple, I love the game."

Kookaburras 2024 Olympic schedule

The Kookaburras will play five pool games at the Paris Olympics, before hopefully moving on to the medal rounds.