Pita Taufatofua, the Shirtless Tongan Flag Bearer and the Only Athlete From His Country, Might Be My Favorite Human at the Olympics

ABC News – Pita Taufatofua has shown once again he’s willing to give the shirt off his back for Tonga in Olympic conditions, whether it be sun, snow or shine.

Less than two years after shooting to international fame when he walked shirtless and oiled-up into the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Taufatofua was bare chested again when he carried the Tongan flag into the opener of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang on Friday.

Taufatofua competed in taekwondo in Rio, and is back competing in cross-country skiing, despite representing a tropical south Pacific island nation where it doesn’t snow.

Clearly, he considers himself a well-oiled machine.

Oh you said it was cold as balls? People are leaving the ceremony early because it’s hypothermia level temps? Yeah don’t tell that bullshit to Pita Taufatofua, the only person representing the nation of Tonga, a south pacific island. Pita made headlines when he debuted his oiled up absurd body at the Summer Olympics in Rio when he competed in taekwondo and was the nation’s flag bearer. Well, he’s back again competing in cross-country skiing despite the fact that it does not snow in his country. I’m not sure how you learn how to ski at an olympic level when you’ve literally never skied before but hey here we go.

His quote about being shirtless while everyone else is in a dozen layers is incredible.

“I won’t freeze. I am from Tonga. We sailed across the Pacific. This is nothing,” he was quoted as saying by the Olympic news service. “It’s a little bit warmer being in Rio than in here … but anytime you get to represent your country is a good time.”

Did Pita sail to South Korea? I could completely see his country not having an airport. Imagine this guy just spent months sailing across the Pacific Ocean just to represent his country and get blown out in skiing? Even though that’s probably not true, he may be my favorite human being at the Winter Games right now. Cross Country skiing with a guy who’s never dealt with snow before in his life is must-watch.

I mentioned earlier in the week about how athletes have been given 110,000 condoms and how that’s a lot of sex going around. I assume my guy Pita is the guy who cleans up here. Dude probably has a waiting list of women waiting at his door. You get this guy on Tinder you’ve hit the lotto. Live it up Pita, I hope you don’t die of hypothermia.