Alexandre Despatie on the short list to be Canada’s flag-bearer at London Games

It's a prestigious honour an athlete will never forget but not one everyone wants.

The Canadian Olympic Committee will name Canada's flag-bearer for the London Summer Olympics Thursday in Ottawa. The person will carry the Maple Leaf and be the Canadian team's face during an opening ceremony broadcast around the world. Past Summer Olympic flag-bearers have included kayaker Adam van Koeverden four years ago in Beijing; synchronized swimmer Carolyn Waldo in 1988 at Seoul; swimmer Alex Baumann in 1984 at Los Angeles; and hammer thrower Duncan Gillis back at the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

To select the flag-bearer each sport is given the opportunity to nominate an athlete. The athlete agrees to let their name stand, then the nominees are reviewed by a selection committee comprised of chef de mission Mark Tewksbury, assistant chef de mission Sylvie Bernier, two athlete representatives and one coach.

Candidates are selected based on their athletic achievements and community contributions, plus their embodiment of the Olympic ideals and values. The person is someone who is seen as a leader by their teammates.

While being a flag-bearer is a privilege it also can be a burden. Standing for hours, sometimes in sweltering heat, can be physically and emotionally draining. That's why some athletes, especially those who compete early at the Olympics, decline the offer.

Here's a look at some of the likely flag-bearer candidates.

ALEXANDRE DESPATIE: The 27-year-old diver from Laval, Que., is probably the front-runner. He will be making his fourth Olympic appearance in London having won silver medals at the 2008 and 2004 Games. No other Canadian male diver has finished in the top three at an Olympics.

Despatie has also shown courage and tenacity. He recently announced he will compete in London despite bashing his head on a diving board and suffering a 10-centimetre cut and concussion while training for a competition in Spain. In the months prior to the Beijing Games Despatie broke his foot but battled back to reach the podium.

While Despatie's athletic skills speak for themselves, he's also charismatic, handsome and bilingual.

SIMON WHITFIELD: The 37-year-old put triathlon on the map in Canada by winning the gold medal in 2000 at Sydney, the year the sport made its Olympic debut. The Victoria resident showed age doesn't matter when he won silver at the Beijing Games eight years later.

Full of boyish charm, Whitfield could be a sentimental choice since this is probably his final Olympics. And, heck, the Canadian already has a subway stop named after him in London for the Games.

CATHARINE PENDREL: If the choice was made by a vote the mountain biker who was born in Harvey, N.B., but now lives in Kamloops, B.C., could win. Pendrel was the top vote getter in a CBCSports.ca bracket-style tournament featuring the top eight men and women athletes. Pendrel defeated Whitfield in the final.

The 31-year-old has the credentials to be a flag-bearer. She is a two-time world championship who finished fourth at the 2008 Games. She also won last year's Olympic test event.

DYLAN ARMSTRONG: At six-foot-four and 345 pounds, the shot-putter from Kamloops makes a big impression. The 31-year-old also has the chance to win Canada's first Olympic field medal since Greg Joy's high-jump silver in 1976 in Montreal.

Armstrong missed the podium in Beijing by about the distance of a finger nail. He won a silver medal at last year's world championships and has been a top-three finisher in Diamond League meets this year.

CLARA HUGHES: She's won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, why not be the flag-bearer in both?

If Hughes reaches the podium in cycling the 39-year-old will become Canada's all-time leader in Olympic medals. Hughes won two bronze on her bike at the 1996 Atlanta Games and four medals over three Winter Olympics in speed skating.

The Winnipeg native, who now lives in Glen Sutton, Que., was the flag-bearer for the Vancouver Winter Games, so the COC might be reluctant to select her again. She is one of the most recognized and decorated athletes in Canadian history plus is dedicated to humanitarian causes.

CAROL HUYNH: The wrestler from New Hazelton, B.C., is the sort of feel-good story that can tip the decision when it comes to the flag-bearer. The 31-year-old became the first Canadian woman to win a wrestling gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Huyhn's parents were refugees from Vietnam who were sponsored by a local church. Both her sisters wrestled and Huyhn became involved in the sport at age 15.

OPENING CEREMONY FLAG BEARERS

Year Host City Athlete Sport

1912 Stockholm Duncan Gillis Athletics

1920 Antwerp Archie McDiarmid Weight Thrower

1924 Paris Hector Phillips Athletics

1928 Amsterdam Joseph Wright Jr. Rowing

1932 Los Angeles George Maughan Boxing

1936 Berlin James Worrall Athletics

1948 London Robert McFarlane Athletics

1952 Helsinki William Parnell Athletics

1956 Melbourne Robert Steckle Wrestling

1960 Rome Carl Schwende Fencing

1964 Tokyo Gilmour Boa Shooting

1968 Mexico City Roger Jackson Rowing

1972 Munich Doug Rogers Judo

1976 Montréal Abby Hoffman Athletics

1980 Moscow Sue Holloway Canoeing

1984 Los Angeles Alex Baumann Swimming

1988 Seoul Carolyn Waldo Synchronized Swimming

1992 Barcelona Michael Smith Athletics

1996 Atlanta Charmaine Crooks Athletics

2000 Sydney Caroline Brunet Canoe-kayak

2004 Athens Nicolas Gill Judo

2008 Beijing Adam van Koeverden Canoe-kayak