Bulgaria picks six-Games gymnast as flag-bearer

Bulgarian veteran Jordan Jovtchev -- set to be the first male gymnast ever to compete in six Olympic games -- said Wednesday he will be his country's flag-bearer for the opening ceremony in London. "It will be an honour for me to carry the Bulgarian flag," Jovtchev, who has one Olympic silver and three bronzes to his name plus another 22 medals from World and European Championships, told AFP ahead of Friday's event. The 39-year-old is still upbeat on leaving a lasting mark in London, despite a string of old shoulder, biceps and wrist injuries that he says "keep reminding me of themselves." "It is impossible to be perfectly fit at this age and in such an injury-prone sport," Jovtchev said. Despite appearing in six Olympics, Jovtchev has only participated in one opening ceremony -- that of his debut in Barcelona back in 1992, when he was aged just 19.