Foster: This was my medal

10:21pm Friday 8th August 2008

Mark Foster revelled in the breathtaking experience of leading Great Britain into Beijing's spectacular opening ceremony and declared: "If I never win an Olympic medal, that was my Olympic medal."

The 38-year-old swimmer, appearing at his fifth Olympic Games, discovered on Wednesday he had been nominated by the rest of Team GB to carry the Union Jack. And he compared the honour with the best moments of a long and glittering career in the pool.

"This goes alongside everything I have ever done in sport. There have only ever been 29 flag-bearers for Britain and they have been some very illustrious names," Foster said.

"I have had so many texts and phone calls from friends and family telling me to enjoy every minute of it and I have. It has been an amazing experience.

"I was pretty nervous coming through the tunnel but it took my breath away when I saw 90,000 people. We had such a great reception."

Princess Anne, an Olympian in 1976, rose to her feet in the stands to wave and welcome the British team into the stadium - not that Foster could pick her out in the crowd.

"I didn't know where to look," he laughed.

Foster's bid for a first Olympic medal gets under way next Friday - which is just as well, as the anticipation of carrying the flag is all he been thinking about since Wednesday.

"Everything has been focused on this (carrying the flag). It has been a huge honour. My arms are getting a bit sore now.

"On Saturday I will have a massage, do some weights and start turning my mind completely to the swimming."

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