Zahra Nemati has been chosen to carry Iran's flag at the Opening Ceremony of this Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro ©Getty Images

Archer Zahra Nemati will carry Iran's flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro later this year, it was announced today.

The 30-year-old has qualified for both the Olympics and Paralympic Games, the first athlete from an Asian country to achieve the historic double.

The news was revealed today on the official website of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

Nemati will be the third woman to carry Iran's flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, following shooter Lida Fariman at Atlanta 1996 and rower Homa Hosseini at Beijing 2008. 

Nemati was black belt in taekwondo before she was involved in an accident in 2004 with a spinal cord injury.

Two years after the accident, the university student took up archery and quickly proved to to be a success.

Just six months after taking up the sport she took part in the National Championships, competing alongside able bodied archers and finished in third place.

As a result she was invited to join Iran's team and has won a medal in every Championships she has competed in since.

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Zahra Nemati took up archery following an accident in 2004 ©Getty Images

She made her debut in the Paralympic Games at London 2012 where she won an individual gold medal and team bronze.

Last year she won a gold medal in the Asian Para-Archery Championships in Bangkok and a silver in the recurve event at the able-bodied Asian Championships, booking her place in the Olympics. 

Providing she competes in the Olympics and Paralympics, Nemati will become only the 13th athlete to compete in both Games.

She will, however, be only the fifth athlete to take part in both the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year.

The first was another archer, Italy's Paola Fantato, at Atlanta 1996. 

She won a gold medal in the Paralympics as part of the Italian squad that won the women's team open.

Polish table tennis player Natalia Partyka competed in the Olympics and Paralympics at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

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Swimmer Natalie du Toit carried South Africa's flag in the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics and Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics at Beijing 2008 ©Getty Images

Two South Africans have also competed at both Games.

Swimmer Natalie du Toit took part in the open water 10 kilometres race at Beijing 2008, finishing 16th, and then won five gold medals at the Paralympics.

She carried the flag for South Africa in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics and Closing Ceremony of the Paralympics.

Du Toit was followed four years later at London 2012 by Oscar Pistorius, who competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

He was chosen to carry South Africa's flag at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics and Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics, where he won two gold medals.