Tonga's memorable Rio flag-bearer has Winter Olympic dreams
Taekwondo fighter Pita Taufatofua wants to compete in cross-country skiing
Taekwondo fighter Pita Taufatofua, best known for being Tonga's topless, oil slathered flag-bearer at the Rio Olympics, says he's hoping to compete at the 2018 Winter Games.
Taufatofua, 33, who was eliminated in the first round in Brazil is now trying his hand at cross-country skiing.
"I'm going to be taking my Olympic dream one step further," he told the BBC.
He gained world-wide attention earlier this year when the video of him leading his nation into the Olympic stadium wearing only a Tongan mat wrapped around his waist went viral.
What do you think of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TGA?src=hash">#TGA</a> flag bearer Pita Nikolas Aufatofua? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DoubleGlazed?src=hash">#DoubleGlazed</a> 😍 <a href="https://t.co/JAoL0ve2RK">https://t.co/JAoL0ve2RK</a> <a href="https://t.co/aMTtysU7l4">https://t.co/aMTtysU7l4</a>
—@CBCOlympicsHeavyweight boxer Paea Wolfgramm remains the nation's sole Olympic medallist, winning silver at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
With tropical climate year-round, Taufatofua would be following in the trend of a number of warm-weather countries who have competed in cold-weather sports — most famously the Jamaican bobsled team which debuted at the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
If the aspiring skier makes the 2018 team, he would be only the second athlete from the Polynesian state to compete in a Winter Games.
"First I have to qualify," Taufatofua said. "My goal is to let people see that if I can do it, they can do it,"
The 2018 Games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from Feb. 9-25.