Canadian broadcasters have made an embarrassing gaffe during the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, mistaking Australian NBA star and flag bearer Patty Mills for a woman. The incident occurred as the Australian team entered the stadium on Friday night, with commentator Scott Russell stating that two women were carrying the flag: swimmer Cate Campbell and 'Patty Mills the basketball player.' Co-host Adrienne Arsenault replied, 'That's how you do it.'
Mills, a point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, is the first Indigenous athlete to serve as Australia's flag bearer. He shared the honour with Campbell, the first female swimmer to do so. The mistake was highlighted on social media, drawing attention to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's coverage.
Meanwhile, Australian viewers expressed frustration with Channel Seven's coverage of the ceremony, citing frequent ad breaks. Many took to Twitter to complain, with some switching off the broadcast to stream the event online ad-free. Others, however, found the ads a welcome break from what they described as a 'boring' ceremony.
Mills' wife Alyssa, an American former college basketball player, watched the ceremony from Australia, wearing green and gold. She told 7News she was proud of her husband, saying, 'This is a big moment for him and he is very proud of himself but we're all very proud of him.'
