Michael Phelps named Team USA flag bearer

It's official. The Team USA flag bearer for the 2016 Rio Olympics will be swimming great Michael Phelps.

The announcement was made online Wednesday morning.

The Opening Ceremony will be held Friday, Aug. 5 at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Phelps, who is the first American male swimmer to qualify for a fifth Olympic Games, was chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA members.

“I'm honored to be chosen, proud to represent the U.S., and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,” Phelps said via TeamUSA.org.

“For Sydney, I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. And now, I want to walk in the Opening Ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it's about so much more than medals.”