Tonga shirtless flagbearer Pita Taufatofua not competing in Paris

WASHINGTON — The Tongan flag bearer who went viral for his shirtless appearances at the Summer and Winter Olympics made it to the Paris Games after all, but he won’t be competing this time around. 

Pita Taufatofua first went viral for being shirtless and oiled-up during the 2016 Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony, then during the freezing cold 2018 Winter Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics. 

Back in April, the three-time Olympian announced on social media that he fell short of qualifying for the Paris Olympics in kayak and taekwondo. 

“Sorry Paris, the five gallons of extra virgin coconut oil I’ve been stock piling ‘may’ have to wait,” he wrote in his post. 

Last week, he shared he’d be going to Paris for the Summer Olympics, but not as a competitor.

“This time the medal I fight for is to be of service, to be there for my fellow athletes, an ear of support or a voice of encouragement,” Taufatofua wrote on Instagram. “To share what I have learnt and more importantly to hear the stories of the other Olympians, these amazing human beings getting ready to represent their nations.” 

While it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing Taufatofua for another shirtless moment during the Opening Ceremony, hours before the event began he shared that he was among a group of athletes who got to carry the torch through the Olympic village. 

Given the whole “running with open flames” thing, this time Taufatofua didn’t go with a shirtless look. 

“Et Voila….The reason I couldn’t bring the oil,” he captioned a photo of himself carrying the Olympic torch. 

And just because Taufatofua won’t be in the Opening Ceremony, that doesn’t mean the shirtless flag bearer tradition won’t continue. With Tonga out of the 2022 Winter Olympics, American Samoa stepped up to keep the tradition of the “shirtless flag bearer” alive for the fourth competition in a row. So will any athletes in Paris make it five in a row?