Who is iconic Tongan flag bearer Pita Taufatofua?
PITA TAUFATOFUA sent the world into a frenzy during his Rio 2016 Olympics opening ceremony display.
The legendary Tongan flag bearer chose a traditional cultural costume over the suggested plain suit.
And what he proceeded to do after will always be remembered by Olympic fans.
Who is iconic Tongan flag bearer Pita Taufatofua?
Pita Taufatofua, 40, is a Tongan Olympic athlete who resides in Australia.
He went viral after he switched out his suit for a ta’ovala, Tongan mat, for his attire during the 2016 Olympic opening ceremony.
Pita appeared shirtless and covered with oil, causing the internet to come “to a grinding halt,” according to Entertainment Tonight.
About the act, Pita said “I was representing 1,000 years of history. We didn’t have suits and ties when we traversed the Pacific Ocean.”
By the end of the week, there would be 230 million Google searches for “where is Tonga?” along with appearances on American talk shows and international recognizability.
Pita has a degree from University of Queensland in engineering and worked with homeless kids for 15 years at Brisbane Youth Service before becoming an Olympic hopeful.
What Olympic events has Pita Taufatofua competed in?
Pita Taufatofua has competed in taekwondo and cross-country skiing at multiple Olympic Games since he burst onto the scene in 2016.
In an interview with The Guardian, Pita opens up on his 15-year experience that led him to the Olympic Games which included “six broken bones, three torn ligaments, one-and-a-half years on crutches, three months in a wheelchair and just hundreds and hundreds of hours of physiotherapy.”
After many injuries and sleeping in preschools, Pita was knocked out in the first round – 16-1 to the Iranian Sajjad Mardani at the 2016 games.
He then decided he would compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang in cross-country skiing despite never seeing snow in his life.
Taufatofua lit up the opening ceremony once again but his 15km skiing freestyle race wasn’t as enjoyable – finishing 114th out of 119 skiers.
But Pita was back two years later for three years later for the Tokyo Games, however, he was knocked out in the 80kg+ taekwondo round of 16.
Is Pita Taufatofua competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Taufatofua confirmed on his Instagram that he will NOT be competing in Paris after failing to qualify.
The Tongan legend said: “Sorry Paris, the five gallons of extra virgin coconut oil I’ve been stock piling ‘may’ have to wait.
“This time my team and I fell short of competing at the Paris Olympics. I gave my absolute everything in both the Kayak and Taekwondo qualifiers but missed out on a qualification.”
However, Pita revealed that he will still be in Paris but he has a new role.