Where’s Pita Taufatofua? Shirtless Tongan Olympian skips 2022 games
You may not recognize Pita Taufatofua’s name, but if you’ve watched the past couple of Olympic opening ceremonies, you would recognize him in a heartbeat.
Taufatofua has been the flag bearer for Tonga in both the Summer and Winter Olympics since 2014. No matter the conditions, Taufatofua walked into the stadiums wearing nothing but his traditional skirt and no shirt — just oil on his arms and torso, Yahoo Sports reported.
But this year, Taufatofua is missing the events in Beijing.
The taekwondo and cross-country skiing Olympian is sitting out the 2022 games as his home country, Tonga, recovers from a volcanic explosion last month, People magazine reported.
He broke the news on social media saying that he would not be taking part this year.
Taufatofua hadn’t qualified for the games by the time of the disaster and chose not to attempt to make the games, The New York Times reported.
“Even with the qualification criteria, I wouldn’t have been able to go to Beijing,” he said, according to the Times, because in Tonga, there are “too many people who are hungry for me to not be focused there.”
“I’ll certainly miss it,” Taufatofua said, but “what the Olympics stands for is more than just sport, and so I feel there’s some level of Olympic effort that we’re doing now anyway.”
He’s also doing his part to raise money to help with the recovery after the volcanic eruption.
https://twitter.com/pitaTofua/status/1482581843329556492
Despite not being in Beijing in person, Taufatofua said he can feel the energy from the opening ceremonies.
BBC Sports responded to his tweet, saying it hopes to see him at the next Olympics in Paris in 2024.
American Samoa’s flag-bearer Nathan Crumpton took up the shirt-less Winter Olympic challenge. He marched into the stadium as he represents his country in the Parade of Nations wearing only his traditional skirt and like Taufatofua, without a shirt, NBC News reported. Crumpton is competing in skeleton in the Winter Olympics. He also competes in the Summer games competing in track and field events.
Pita Nikolas Taufatofua of Tonga competes against Sejjad Mardani of Iran during Men’s +80kg Taekwondo competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Olympians Kaori Icho of Japan and Pita Taufatofua of Tongo on stage during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Flag bearer Pita Taufatofua of Tonga leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Flag bearer Pita Taufatofua of Tonga leads the team during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Flag bearer Pita Taufatofua of Tonga and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Pita Taufatofua of Tonga crosses the finish line during the Cross-Country Skiing Men’s 15km Free at Alpensia Cross-Country Centre on February 16, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images,)
Pita Taufatofua of Tonga competes during the Cross-Country Skiing Men’s 15km Free at Alpensia Cross-Country Centre on February 16, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Pita Taufatofua of Tonga reacts after crossing the finish line during the Cross-Country Skiing Men’s 15km Free at Alpensia Cross-Country Centre on February 16, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images,)
Pita Taufatofua of Tonga walks in the Parade of Athletes during the Closing Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Pita Taufatofua of Tonga stands on stage during the Closing Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach and Lee Hee-beom, President & CEO of PyeongChang Organizing Committee stand on the stage with Lindsey Vonn of the United States, Pita Taufatofua of Tonga and Olympic athletes during the Closing Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Flag bearers Malia Paseka and Pita Taufatofua of Team Tonga lead their team during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Hannah McKay – Pool/Getty Images)
Pita Taufatofua (L) of Team Tonga competes against Ivan Konrad Trajkovic of Team Slovenia during the Men’s +80kg Taekwondo Repechage contest on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Makuhari Messe Hall on July 27, 2021 in Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Pita Taufatofua poses during the Australian Olympic Committee Pacific Athletes Program Launch at Tallawoladah Lawn on June 08, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images for the Australian Olympic Committee)
Pita Taufatofua poses at Jindalee Boat Ramp on December 23, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Samsung)
Pita Taufatofua trains at Jindalee Boat Ramp on December 23, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Samsung)
