Malta - Мальта Elise Pellegrin French born Alpine skier with a Maltese grandfather the Mediterranean nation's first Winter Olympian will carry the Bandiera ta' Malta with pride. At 22 she is taking part in the women's slalom and giant slalom.
Macedonia - Македония Darko Damjanovski is a cross country skier who is taking part in his third Olympics. He goes off in the men's 15km classical.
Morocco - Марокко Adam Lamhamedi was the first African to win an Olympic related medal in the Youth Olympics in 2012. While that gold was in teh Super-G he is only taking part in the slalom and giant slalom here.
Mexico - Мексика Hubertus von Hohenlohe is a descendent of the rulers of a German principality though he was born in Mexico. At 55 he is the oldest competitor in Sochi and will be competing at his sixth Winter Olympics since his debut at Sarejevo in 1984. He missed the 2002 and 2006 but will take part in the men's slalom. Whether he goes on another four years to overtake Carl August Kronlund a 58-year-old curler from the First Winter Olympics at Chamonix 1924 to become the oldest ever we will have to wait and see.
Moldova - Молдова Victor Pinzaru a 21-year-old biathlete whose birthday is four days way, is taking part in his second Olympics. However, he has not qualified in biathlon this time and is only taking part in the men's 15km classical cross country.
Monaco - Монако Olivier Jenot will turn 26 at the end of the month, but made his debut as an 18 year old at Turin in 2006. He missed out on Vancouver due to a dislocated shoulder injury after he had qualified. He has qualified for all five of the Alpine skiing events including the combined at which he won gold at the Winter Universiade last year.
Mongolia - Монголия Bold Byambadorj is a 22-year-old cross country skier who makes his Olympic debut in the men's 15km classical.
Nepal - Непал Dachhiri Sherpa
Netherlands - Нидерланды Jorien ter Mors is a speed skater who will taking part both in the traditional long track as well as the short track events. She is taking part in all the short track individual events as well as the relay, and in the long track she is going in the 1,500m as well as the team pursuit. At only 24 this is her second Olympics and she has already won two silvers and a bronze at world championships on short track.
New Zealand - Новая Зеландия Shane Dobbin is a speed skater who will take part in the longest disciplines on ice the men's 5,000m and 10,000m. he only took part in the former on his debut 4 years ago when he finished 17th.
Norway - Норвегия Aksel Lund Svindal is an Alpine skier who brought home three medals (one of each hue) from the 2010 Games in Vancouver. He is a hot favourite to add to that tally having brought back a gold in each world championships or Olympics since 2007 the year after he made his Olympic debut. The only event he is not taking part in is the slalom.
Pakistan - Пакистан
Paraguay - Парагвай Julia Marino was born in Paraguay but adopted by an American couple at six months old. Until last year she competed for her adopted nation but switched to compete for the nation of her birth giving them their first appearance at the Winter Games. The 21-year-old is a medal contender in the women's slopestyle skiing.
Peru - Перу Roberto Cancelen is a 43-year-old cross country skier who lives and owns a business in Seattle, USA. He was the first Peruvian to qualify and compete in the Winter Games in 2010 where he also had the honour of carrying his nations flag. he is taking part in the men's 15km traditional.
Poland - Польша Dawid Kupczyk at 36 will be driving the two and four man bobsleighs in his fifth Olympics. Although at Nagano and Salt Lake City he was in the second seat in the four-man before stepping up to drive from Turin. In vancouver he achieved his best ever Olympic result with 14th in the four-man.
Portugal - Португалия Arthur Hanse is the male half of Portugals's team who both go in Lapine skiing. He was born France almost 21 years ago, his birthday will be on Monday, to Portuguese parents. But he is the elder member of the Portuguese team by 3 and a half years.
Romania - Румыния Éva Tófalvi is carrying the Romanian flag for the second consecutive Winter Games. At 35 she will be taking part in the women's biathlon events for her fifth Games. She came 11th in the individual event in both her debut at Nagano and last time in Vancouver and she is the only Romanian to have won a World Cup event in biathlon.
San Marino - Сан Марино Vincenzo Michelotti at 17 and 86 days he may be the youngest flag bearer in the ceremony. He will take part in the men's giant slalom.
Serbia - Сербия Milanko Petrović is 25 and was the first Serb to take part for his independent nation in biathlon at the 2010 Games in Vancouver. He is also the first Serb to have won World Cup points in his discipline so has a outside chance of medals in the men;'s individual and sprint events.
Slovenia - Словения Tomaž Razingar is the 34-year-old left winger in the first Ice Hockey team to qualify for the independent Slovenia.
United States of America - Соединенные Штаты Америки Todd Lodwick is the 37 year old veteran of five previous Games starting in 1994 at Lillehammer. In 2009 he won the Nordic Combined 10km normal hill world championships along with the 10km mass start. He will be taking part in the normal and large hill individual events as well as the team event.
The largest team (only five more than the hosts) marks the end of the third segment of this run through the flag bearers of this afternoons Opening Ceremony. The final section will of course lead up to the arrival of the hosts.
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