RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The Latest on the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (all times local):
9:40 a.m.
The most decorated athlete in Olympic history will carry the United States flag during the opening ceremony for the Rio Games.
Michael Phelps was selected in a vote by members of the U.S. Olympic team. The decision was announced Wednesday morning.
Phelps was a logical choice heading into his fifth Summer Games. He has won 18 golds and 22 medals overall, far more than any other athlete.
Phelps skipped the opening ceremony at the last three Olympics to rest up for the grueling 400-meter individual medley, which is held the next day.
But with that event no longer a part of his program, Phelps is available to carry the flag in Friday night’s ceremony at the Maracana.
Phelps says he is “humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all that it stands for.”
___
9:30 a.m.
The International Olympic Committee says it expects total revenue to reach $5.6 billion for the four-year period ending in 2016.
That’s an increase from $5.2 billion during the previous period between 2009 and 2012.
The IOC’s income has climbed steadily since 2000. The total revenue for 2001-2004 was $3 billion, and it increased to $3.9 billion for 2005-2008.
The IOC also reported reserves of $874 million, money that is set aside to keep the IOC running in the event the games cannot be held.
___
9:15 a.m.
Pope Francis says he hopes the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will inspire athletes and spectators alike to pursue solidarity.
He told pilgrims Wednesday at his weekly audience at the Vatican that the world is “thirsty for peace, tolerance and reconciliation.”
He is hoping the games, which begin later this week, can inspire everyone to pursue a prize that is “not a medal but something more precious – achieving a civilization in which solidarity reigns, founded on the recognition that we are all members of one human family.”
A delegation from Brazil at the audience cheered when his remarks in Italian were translated into Portuguese.
___
AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org