Australian swimming champion Stephanie Rice has been chosen to carry the flag for Australia at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

“He (John Coates) said, I’d really like for you to be the flag bearer and I just thought, oh my gosh. I never even saw that coming at all,” Rice said.

“I feel so honoured to be given this role and I guess I’m really looking forward to it.

“Because I didn’t get to go to the opening ceremony I was really looking forward to going to the closing but now even more so.”