March order 'may work in Aussies favour'

AP ©

Australia's demotion to 203rd in the marching order for the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony may work in the team's favour, officials believe.

Although it will mean red eyes for home viewers who will need to stay up well beyond midnight to see the Aussies march, it will be easier on the athletes themselves.

"If you come in (to the stadium) in a later group you are seated for longer rather than coming into the stadium and standing around for a long time," said Australian chef de mission John Coates.

"So in fact it might be less arduous."

Through alphabetical good fortune, Australia - one of three nations to have competed at every modern Olympics - is accustomed to being one of the first teams to march into the stadium.

But the Chinese alphabet decrees otherwise, leaving only Zambia behind it, followed by the host nation, which traditionally enters the stadium last.

"It will be different but it'll be fine," Coates said.

"It doesn't make any difference to us. If we'd been at the front it doesn't mean that athletes would have been able to get away earlier and have an earlier night's sleep.

"You can't leave until it's all over. We all leave the ceremony together, whether you come in first or last."

While the Seven Network is unhappy, Coates believes television ratings in Australia will not suffer too much.

"They're going to be waiting for the cauldron to be lit, and that follows the parade of nations, so I think it was going to be a late night anyway."

Coates said he expected between 40 and 60 per cent of the Australian team to march.

The swimmers, who compete on the first competition day, will not be among them.

Triple rowing gold medallist James Tomkins, who will be competing at his sixth Olympics, is an odds-on favourite to carry the Australian flag.

The Opening Ceremony is due to run from 8pm-11.30pm local time (10pm until 1.30am AEST).