London 2012 Olympics: Sir Chris Hoy expected to receive honour of carrying Great Britain flag for second time Also on the list were: Tim Brabants, the Beijing 1,000m flat-water canoe champion; shooter Richard Faulds, who won double-trap gold in 2000; open-water swimmer Kerri Ann-Payne, a silver medallist in Beijing; Sara Stevenson, who won taekwondo bronze four years ago; archer Allison Williamson, a bronze medallist in 2004, who is appearing in her sixth Olympics; and rower Katherine Grainger, who has won three successive Olympic silver medals. Other potential leading contenders, triple-Olympic champion Ben Ainslie and Rebecca Adlington, were not in contention because their competition schedules mean they are not free to attend the opening ceremony. As well as voting for who will lead the team that athlete's poll, conducted over the weekend, will determine who has the honour of taking the athletes" oath on behalf of all 10,500 competitors at the opening ceremony. The BOA has determined that whoever came second in the poll would take the oath, with Grainger and Williamson in contention. The selected athlete will take part in a key element of the formal part of the ceremony, swearing the oath along with a selected judge. The chosen athlete holds a corner of the Olympic flag and says: "In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams." Hoy's selection confirms his status as one of the most respected as well as most successful of British Olympians. He was the face of British Cycling's remarkable success at the 2008 Games, winning three of the seven gold medals plundered in the Beijing velodrome (Nicole Cook won an eighth on the road). On Thursday it was confirmed that Hoy will defend only two of the three titles he won in China, having been overlooked for the sprint in favour of Jason Kenny. If he defends both the keirin and the team sprint titles he will overhaul Sir Steve Redgrave as the most decorated British Olympian, with six gold medals. More than 200 British athletes and officials are expected to march behind the Union flag in the stadium, though competition schedules mean many are unable or reluctant to disrupt their preparation. The BOA has given anyone competing within 48 hours of the ceremony finishing in the early hours of Saturday morning leave to stay away. It would like those who have at least 72 hours before they start to attend.