The day before the opening of the 31st Olympic Games, the Republic of Serbia's national flag was hoisted at the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, as the national anthem "Bože Pravde" ("God of Justice") was played. The ceremony was attended by President of the Republic of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic and his spouse Dragica, nearly all Serbian athletes currently in Rio (around 104 of them), executives of the Serbian Olympic Committee, headed by Committee's President Vlade Divac, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Brazil Veljko Lazic, along with numerous experts in the field of sports and Serbian and foreign media representatives.

After the ceremony, President Nikolic visited the pavilion where the Serbian Olympians are accommodated, wishing them great success at the Games.