The Paralympic, world and European 800 metres champion in the T46 category will be defending the title he won in Athens four years ago and is part of a 36-strong athletics team competing for Britain in the Chinese capital.
 
The 35-year-old, from Heybridge in Essex, will be competing in his third Paralympic Games.

 

He was a talented rugby player before losing his arm in a road accident in Australia in 1994 and was subsequently talent spotted by athletics.
 
After taking a bronze medal in the 400m in Sydney he moved up to 800m and having won gold at the European Championships he established himself as a world-class athlete with a brilliant performance in Athens to take gold and the Paralympic title.

 

He went on to complete a hat trick of major titles when he added World Championship gold in 2006 and is the world record holder for his classification over 800m.
 
Crates is a London 2012 Ambassador, a patron of Little Havens Children’s Hospice and vice-patron of Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity.
 
He said: “It is a massive honour to be chosen to carry the flag for ParalympicsGB at the Opening Ceremony.

 

"There are some amazing athletes competing for GB in Beijing and when I step out on to the track on Saturday night with the flag it will be one of the proudest moments of my life.”
 
Phil Lane, Chef de Mission for ParalympicsGB, said: “Danny Crates is a great ambassador for disability sport and for ParalympicsGB and a wonderful role model for any young athlete.

 

"As a Paralympic, World and European champion he has proved himself to be a world-class athlete and fully deserves the honour of carrying the flag for GB at the Opening Ceremony in Beijing.”
 
The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens tomorrow and closes on September 17.

 

Britain will be represented in 18 of the 20 sports by 206 athletes.

 

At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games Britain finished second in the medal table with a total of 35 golds, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals.