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Everyone’s favorite Tonga flag bearer qualifies for Tokyo Olympics
Pita Taufatofua of Tonga has successfully managed to qualify again for the Olympics.
Taufatofua, 36, made international headlines when he represented his country in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. Taufatofua stood out as the country’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony, when he paraded around Maracana Stadium, shirtless and glistening with oil, in a traditional Tongan outfit.
He represented the country in taekwondo but went on to lose in the first round.
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Time for stronger training equipment… – #athletelife #olympian #trainingTips #motivationDaily #man #gymfails
A post shared by Pita Taufatofua (@pita_tofua) on
Related: Pita Taufatofua (a.k.a. the Shirtless Tongan) is back at the Olympics and everyone’s fainting
Undeterred by this setback, Taufatofua then set out to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, successfully retraining and qualifying for Tonga as a skier. He went on to come 114th out of 116 in the 15km cross-country ski event. He again carried the Tonga flag during the opening ceremony, shirtless despite considerably colder temperatures!
Despite cracking a rib during training a month ago, on Friday he took to social media to share the news that Tonga was again set to go to the games in Tokyo this summer.
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Looks like we’re going to need more coconut oil – Tonga is going to Tokyo
Just qualified for our third straight Olympics in my beautiful sport of Taekwondo! #NextStopKayak #ButFirstACoconut
A post shared by Pita Taufatofua (@pita_tofua) on
“Looks like we’re going to need more coconut oil – Tonga is going to Tokyo Just qualified for our third straight Olympics in my beautiful sport of Taekwondo!”
A Tonga Olympic official later confirmed to NBC Sports that the country had successfully qualified for two spots at the Olympics: “One [female qualifier] and Pita.”
Related: He’s BACK! Everyone’s favorite oiled-up Tongan heartthrob just qualified for the Winter Olympics
Not content with competing in taekwondo, Taufatofua is also currently attempting to qualify for the kayaking competition in the Olympics. If he manages to qualify for the kayak, he will be the first athlete since 1924 to take part in three different sports in three consecutive games.
“I just love being out on the ocean, being out at sea. It’s a sport that excites me. I haven’t learned it yet, but it excites me at the same time,” he told CNN last year.
Go, Pita!
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