Millie Knight to be Great Britain’s youngest flag bearer

"I can't wait to carry the flag at the Opening Ceremony and I'm honoured to be out there representing ParalympicsGB alongside all of the other nations."

Alpine skier Millie Knight will have the honour of carrying the flag for Great Britain at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony on Friday (7 March).

At just 15 years of age, Knight is the youngest athlete ever to represent Great Britain at a Paralympic Winter Games.

Knight, who is Visually impaired after contracting a parasitic disease called toxoplasmosis as a child, said she is looking forward to her Paralympic debut and to be named as a flag bearer is an added bonus.

"This is the best feeling ever! I'm so excited,” she said.

“I can't wait to carry the flag at the Opening Ceremony and I'm honoured to be out there representing ParalympicsGB alongside all of the other nations. "This was such a surprise but I'll try and make the team proud. I was really excited just to be competing in Sochi and to be going to the Opening Ceremony so it just keeps getting better and better.

“I hope it's going to be a great atmosphere. I watched the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics and I'm sure they're going to put on a good show.”

ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe said she is delighted for the young athlete, who she thinks will have a bright future.

“At just 15 years of age, it is a fantastic achievement to be competing at your first Paralympic Games and I am delighted to confirm that Millie will be carrying the flag for the British team during the celebrations for the Opening Ceremony.

“Millie is a very talented athlete and an exciting prospect for the future, therefore she is the perfect representative for the team on this occasion. I hope that she enjoys every second of the ceremony in the Fisht Stadium, but I know that her focus will remain on her races, which will soon begin in Rosa Khutor. I’d like to wish her and the rest of the team the very best of luck as they aim to go out there and produce their personal best performances.”

Knight will be joined at the Opening Ceremony by her guide Rachael Ferrier and fellow skiers Ben Sneesby and James Whitley, with the remainder of the athletes watching from their respective villages as they are due to compete early the next morning.

The Opening Ceremony will begin at 20:14 local time with 547 athletes from 45 countries in attendance.