Rio to apologize for using wrong Chinese flag again

The wrong Chinese national flag at the women's volleyball award ceremony, Aug 21, 2016. [Photo/CCTV]

Chinese national flag.

Rio Olympic Committee again used the wrong Chinese flag at the women's volleyball awarding ceremony on Sunday.

The Chinese embassy in Brazil expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying Beijing would not accept such a huge mistake.

The committee said it will hold a meeting to review their mistake and tender an official apology to China.

Before that, on the first day of the games, the incorrect flag was used during the award ceremony of the women's 10m air rifle with China's Du Li and Yi Siling as silver and bronze medal winner respectively.

Chinese delegation found out the error and immediately alerted the organizing committee. The case was later taken up by the Chinese Embassy to Brazil. The committee tendered an official apology and promised to rectify the error but failed to present the right flag on the following day when China's markswoman Zhang Mengxue claimed the country's first gold in the women's 10m air pistol event.

However, the wrong flag was again shown on the award ceremony of men's 400m freestyle with Sun Yang won the silver medal.

The angle of four smaller stars on the flag should point toward the large star's central point. But in the wrong flags, the smaller stars are all aligned identically.

"The flags produced had been approved by the Chinese prior to production. You have to be very familiar with the Chinese flag to notice it (the mistake)," Games spokesman Mario Andrada said.