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Tonga's Shirtless Flag Bearer Rocks Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony, With 1 Difference

Is it even an Olympics ceremony now without Pita Taufatofua and his oiled-up torso?
Lee Moran
By 

Reporter, HuffPost

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Tonga’s flag bearer Pita Taufatofua cemented his status as a firm fan favorite at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony on Friday when he once again walked into the stadium shirtless and covered in oil.

Taufatofua, who is competing in the Taekwondo event, did the same at the Rio summer games in 2016 and at the winter games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, two years later.

This time around, though, there was one difference.

Taufatofua wore a mask, as did all athletes involved in the ceremony:

Flag bearers Malia Paseka and Pita Taufatofua of Team Tonga lead their team out during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Flag bearers Malia Paseka and Pita Taufatofua of Team Tonga lead their team out during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Hannah McKay - Pool via Getty Images
23 July 2021, Japan, Tokio: Olympics: Opening Ceremony at Olympic Stadium. Tonga flag bearers Malia Paseka and taekwondo fighter Pita Taufatofua lead the team into the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa (Photo by Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
23 July 2021, Japan, Tokio: Olympics: Opening Ceremony at Olympic Stadium. Tonga flag bearers Malia Paseka and taekwondo fighter Pita Taufatofua lead the team into the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa (Photo by Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
picture alliance via Getty Images
23 July 2021, Japan, Tokio: Olympics: Opening Ceremony at Olympic Stadium. Tonga flag bearers Malia Paseka and taekwondo fighter Pita Taufatofua lead the team into the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa (Photo by Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
23 July 2021, Japan, Tokio: Olympics: Opening Ceremony at Olympic Stadium. Tonga flag bearers Malia Paseka and taekwondo fighter Pita Taufatofua lead the team into the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa (Photo by Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
picture alliance via Getty Images

This is a Tonga Olympics appreciation tweet for no reason in particular

📷: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/PgGmjDEaCw

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) July 23, 2021

"The Usain Bolt of flag bearers", says Bruce McAvaney 😅

Pita Taufatofua has a compelling story:

- Rio Olympian in 2016
- PyeongChang Winter Games in 2018
- Engineer by trade
- UNICEF ambassador

And now he's ready to compete in taekwondo for Tonga in Tokyo #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/K5GM6JKpSM

— 7Olympics (@7olympics) July 23, 2021
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