Audience viewers gushed about Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua on Twitter.
The famous shirtless Tongan flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua, made his grand entrance once again in the opening ceremony of Friday’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Taufatofua first garnered attention during the 2016 Rio Olympics, after carrying the Tongan flag shirtless and oiled up, leaving viewers in a frenzy. Though the weather of the Rio Olympics was in the warm 70’s, Taufatofua surprised viewers by reappearing shirtless despite the much cooler 26 degrees in South Korea.
The buzzed-about flag bearer competed in taekwondo in the Rio Olympics, but for the Winter Olympics, Taufatofua will compete as a cross-country skier, making him the second Winter Olympian from Tonga. He is also the first Olympic cross-country skier from the Polynesian archipelago.
Taufatofua’s return immediately began trending on Twitter, with users praising the Olympian for braving the freezing temperature.
Two years on from Rio and @PitaTaufatofua is topless again! Welcome Tonga to the Winter @Olympics!
See more on @pyeongchang2018 here: https://t.co/M70cMvG6ul pic.twitter.com/w8IQKpDLgM
— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) February 9, 2018
TGIF! (Tonga guy is FINE) https://t.co/iDK8eEbH6Z
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) February 10, 2018
He’s back! (and still shirtless!) #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/lfi3aY3zx3
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2018
No shoes, no shirt, no problem.
Pita Taufatofua, Tonga’s flag-bearer and only Olympic athlete is ready for #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/ZchGQwbfzX
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 9, 2018
Bermuda: Its not that cold. We can wear shorts.
Tonga guy: Hold my beer#OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/i4z8Btrvdm
— Nick Murray (@NickMurray91) February 9, 2018
Tonga! Immune to the cold. #Pyeongchang2018 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/JX6PYINg0C
— Jean H. Lee (@newsjean) February 9, 2018
Someone give him a medal for existing#OpeningCeremony Tonga for the win pic.twitter.com/bEyq1kCfvI
— Christine Couto (@ChristineCouto) February 10, 2018
Live every day like you’re the Tonga flag bearer who just decided to learn how to cross country ski so he could come back to the #olympics and parade in shirtless
— Kristen Soltis Anderson (@KSoltisAnderson) February 10, 2018
Trainer: “If you go out there like that you’ll get hypothermia and you won’t compete.”
Tonga dude: “Um, I already won the Olympics.” pic.twitter.com/P9aViA3NzC
— David Wade (@davidwade) February 10, 2018
Also does the Tonga flag bearer need an official oiler? #AskingForAFriend #OpeningCeremony #PyeongChang2018 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/6v0VVhoCfo
— Emma (@aniyah2105) February 10, 2018
