'We didn't expect that': Married couple makes history as Romania's flag bearers

Romanian rowing athletes Ionela-Livia Cozmiuc and Marius Cozmiuc set a historic first at the opening ceremony in Paris, becoming the first-ever married couple to serve as flag bearers for their country.

In what is truly an athletic love story, the two flag bearers are both multiple-time Olympians.

Marius Cozmiuc won a silver medal in the coxless pairs for Romania at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Ionela Livia Cozmiuc is a two-time Olympian in double sculls (sixth in 2020, eighth in 2016), a two-time lightweight sculls world champion (2017, 2018) and the 2022 World Championships single sculls gold medallist.

READ MORE: Old at 23? Why age could define Paris' greatest race

READ MORE: World record tipped as coach's shadow hangs over Aussies

READ MORE: Chaos, electricity and finally, relief: Inside the Paris 2024 opening ceremony

The duo found out about their honours shortly before the Games when they went to do a photo shoot.

"It's a huge honour for us to be the flag bearers. We didn't expect that, but every Olympic athlete dreams about it, so we're really glad that we'll do this together as a family," Ionela Livia Cozmiuc told the Olympic Information Service.

It's a family affair for the Cozmiucs.

Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.

"It's our third Olympics together as a couple. We were together at Rio (in 2016), then in Tokyo (2020), and now here. It's not just the two of us from our family," Ionela Livia said.

"My brother is also in the team, my sister-in-law is also in the team - Florin Sorin Lehaci and Maria Lehaci - and last year, on this venue, the sister of Maria Lehaci (Gabriela Tivodariu) won the world title in the pair (at the World Under-19 Rowing Championships). So, we are a small family in the big family of the Romanian rowing team."

The Cozmiucs are happy to be competing in the same sport and sharing the honour of being flag bearers, but they and the rest of their rowing family members have a rule at dinner: No talking shop.

"We try to not. We have a lot of subjects, of course, but everything ends with a rowing story.

"Even if we go out at dinner, for example. My brother once said that the first who would start to talk about rowing would pay (for) the dinner. It was me," Ionela Livia said.