AP - Three-time Wimbledon champion Maria Bueno and two-time Olympic volleyball champion Fabiana are among the first 16 of 12,000 torchbearers to be named for the games in Rio de Janeiro.
All the initial picks by organisers are Brazilians, with Olympic medallists Adriana Behar (beach volleyball), Isabel Swan (sailing) and Gustavo Borges (swimming) also among the 16.
Bueno, 76, won Wimbledon singles titles in 1959, 1960 and 1964 in an outstanding career that included four US Open crowns (1959, 1963, 1964 and 1966).
Clodoaldo Silva, the winner of six Paralympic swimming golds, will also be involved.
Starting on May 3, the flame will be carried from Brasilia to the opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium on August 5, visiting 329 Brazilian towns and cities over 95 days.
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The traditional lighting of the flame will take place in Olympia, Greece, on April 21.
