Some nations march with one flag-bearer

The IOC had pledged to work towards gender equality at the Games

A few countries stood out at the opening ceremony on Friday for having only either a man or a woman bearing the flag, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) encouraged both male and female flag-bearers. Ethiopian male swimmer Abdelmalik Muktar and Tajikistani male judoka Temur Rakhimov waved the flags of their respective countries, despite having a mixed delegation. Congo, on the other hand, had only female sprinter Natacha Ngoye Akamabi represent its mixed team.