Rio 2016: Nicola Adams and Sir Bradley Wiggins in contention to be Team GB flag-bearer at opening ceremony

A decision is likely to be revealed on Wednesday by the British Olympic Association after Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic cycling champion, was handed the honour at the London Games in 2012

Sir Chris Hoy was chosen to bear the flag at the London 2012 Games (Getty)

Sir Bradley Wiggins and Nicola Adams are among the leading contenders to be announced as the flag-bearer for the Great Britain team at the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics.

A decision is likely to be revealed on Wednesday by the British Olympic Association after Sir Chris Hoy, six-time cycling champion, was handed the honour at the London Games in 2012.

The Times reports that Adams, the first female Olympic boxing champion, and Wiggins, who has seven Olympic medals to his name, are the most likely candidates while veteran showjumper Nick Skelton is also in the running.

Should Adams be the BOA’s choice, she would become the first black athlete to bear the British flag at the Olympics. In the past the privilege has been handed to veteran athletes with Kate Howey and Mark Foster being chosen at Athens and Beijing respectively.

Team GB could have a depleted compliment at the ceremony in Rio on Friday night with athletes who are due to compete in the opening days of the competition set to sit the event out and rest in the Olympic village.

Bill Sweeney, the BOA chief executive, said: “It will be a fairly small delegation as we have a big crew in Belo Horizonte training and some competing 24 or 48 hours after the opening ceremony so we expect there to be in the region of 55 or so marching athletes.

“So given that we have 366 athletes, it’s a small number but their priorities are on competing not the marching bit.”