Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has added his congratulations to those piling up around Australian Olympic flag bearer Lauren Jackson.
"Congratulations@laurenej15 on the well-deserved honour of being chosen as our flag bearer at the Olympics," he tweeted.
Former basketballer Andrew Gaze, who carried the flag for Australia at Sydney in 2000, wrote: "There is no greater honour in sport than to lead your nation at the Olympic Games and there is no one more worthy in AUS than @laurenej15."
New Basketball Australia CEO and former NSW premier Kristina Keneally, celebrity Rove McManus and footballer Brendan Fevola all tweeted their support.
And so did the last woman to carry the flag for Australia, former diver Jenny Donnet who had the honour 20 years ago in Barcelona.
"Congrats Lauren - hope you have the most marvellous time! Big hugs to you!" she wrote.
After midnight in London, Jackson responded to the outpouring of support on Twitter.
"Thank you so much 4 the love every1. You have been so supportive and I wouldn't be who I am without the support you have shown me. #GoOpals," she wrote.
The significance of her selection was reflected by the fact that Jackson was a trending topic on Twitter Friday morning as Australians woke up to the news.
"Ok I have to try and sleep now otherwise I will be up all night," Jackson tweeted.
"I've never trended b4, this is funnn."
Mr Abbott later told reporters Jackson was a deserving athlete.
"The important thing is that a fine Australian athlete, someone that we admire and can identify with, someone whom we respect and are proud of, does this job - and that certainly is a bill that Lauren eminently fits," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday.
He said Natalie Cook, the beach volleyballer who threatened to protest if a woman was not chosen for the job this time around, ought to be pleased at Jackson's selection.
"I think she, like all Australians, (is) delighted that Lauren Jackson has been given this role," Mr Abbott said.
Former NSW premier and incoming Basketball Australia CEO Kristina Keneally said the selection recognised Jackson as a world-class superstar.
"Lauren Jackson is a superstar in Australia and she's a superstar globally - she's not just regarded as the best female basketball player in Australia, she's right at the top worldwide," she told AAP in a statement.
"When you add to that her tremendous personal qualities - her generosity as a role model, her dedication to her team, her natural leadership - it's clear this is just a brilliant choice, one I think will be very popular with the Australian public."
