Read Owen Slot's excellent interview with Lopez Lomong

Just a day after four American cyclists apologised for wearing pollution masks on their entry into Beijing, the US team risked upsetting their Chinese hosts again by selecting a refugee from the conflict in Darfur to be their flag-bearer at Friday's opening ceremony.

Lopez Lomong, a Sudan-born 1500 metre runner, will lead the American team into the 'Bird's Nest' Olympic Stadium, having only become a US citizen in July 2007 after being kidnapped aged six and spending 10 years in a refugee camp.

China has close ties with Sudan, as one of the main buyers of the African nation's oil and a key investor in its economy, and rights groups have accused Beijing of not doing enough to resolve the conflict in Darfur.

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Diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington were strained further by the recent decision of Chinese authorities to prevent Joey Cheek, a US Winter Olympics gold medallist and a leading advocate for an end to violence in the Sudanese province of Darfur, from travelling to the Games.

"This is another amazing step for me in celebrating being an American. Seeing my fellow Americans coming behind me and supporting me will be a great honor," Lomong said.