Amputee swimmer du Toit to carry South Africa flag

BEIJING (Reuters) - Inspirational amputee swimmer Natalie du Toit will carry South Africa's flag at the Olympic Games opening ceremony, team officials said on Friday.

"Natalie was the obvious choice for Team South Africa and this appointment has received the full support of the code managers in Beijing," said Chef de Mission Hajera Kajee.

The Cape Town-bred du Toit was identified as a potential Olympian in her early teens. But she lost her left leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, a year after narrowly failing to qualify for the Sydney Games.

The leg was amputated at the knee after it began to turn gangrenous and a titanium rod was inserted into her femur. Three months later, she was back in the water.

She had been a medley swimmer but decided to concentrate on long-distance swimming because there is less kicking.

In May the 24-year-old qualified for the 10-km open water event and she could become the first amputee to win a medal at a Summer Games for 56 years.

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games she became the first amputee to swim in the finals of a major able-bodied competition when she made the final of the 800m freestyle.

Du Toit also won gold when competing against able-bodied swimmers in the 1,500m freestyle at the All Africa Games in Algiers last year.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)