Volleyballer Tetyukhin named Russia's flag bearer in Rio

Gold medallist Sergey Tetyukhin of Russia celebrates on podium during the award ceremony for the men's volleyball competition at Earls Court during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 12, 2012. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/files

By Dmitriy Rogovitskiy

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Sergei Tetyukhin, the captain of the Russian men's volleyball team, will carry the country's flag during the opening ceremony of the Rio Games, twice Olympic pole vault champion Elena Isinbayeva said on Thursday.

Isinbayeva is one of the athletes unable to attend the Rio Games because of the decision by the governing body International Association of Athletics Federation to ban Russian track and field athletes from Rio in response to systematic state-sponsored doping by the country.

"Our flag bearer at the Rio Olympics has already been determined. Voleyball player Sergei Tetyukhin, who is a great sportsman and an Olympic champion, will be given the honour," Isinbayeva wrote on her Instagram page.

The 40-year-old Tetyukhin won four Olympic medals, including gold at London 2012. The Rio Olympic Games will be his sixth.

"Yesterday during the meeting with the president (Vladimir Putin) he conducted himself well and promised to fight for victory," Isinbayeva added.

(Reporting By Dmitriy Rogovitskiy)