Winter Olympics: shirtless Tongan Pita Taufatofua steals the show again at opening ceremony

  • 10/02/2018
Despite freezing temperatures, Pita Taufatofua still walked out shirtless in Pyeongchang.
Despite freezing temperatures, Pita Taufatofua still walked out shirtless in Pyeongchang. Photo credit: Reuters

Pita Taufatofua, the man known for showing off his oily chest at the Rio 2016 opening ceremony, has done it again, but this time at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Friday night.

 The Australian born Taufatofua made international headlines nearly two years ago when he walked shirtless and oiled-up into the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, and he's done the same in South Korea.

Most wore warm clothes with the temperature being in the single digits and a wind chill of minus 7 degrees, but that didn't stop Taufatofua showing off his chiselled body.

In the lead up to the ceremony, Taufatofua said that he would not repeat the stunt of walking out in traditional Tongan attire due to the cold weather, but he surprised everybody walking out shirtless.

"I want to still be alive for my race. It's going to be freezing, so I will be keeping nice and warm," he said.

The 34-year-old competed in Rio in taekwondo, but after failing to win a match, he opted to switch sports and try his luck in cross-country skiing. 

Pita Taufatofua.
Pita Taufatofua. Photo credit: Reuters

Taufatofua qualified for the event on the final day of qualification on last month in Japan after seven failed attempts.

He is the only Tongan competing at the games and is the first to represent the island nation at both the Winter and Summer Games.

Kiwi Beau-James Wells flew the flag as New Zealand's Winter Olympians at the opening ceremony.

Wells led a 32-strong Kiwi contingent of athletes and officials, including his brothers Jackson and Byron on Friday night.

The Winter Olympics will be contested between February 9 and February 25.

Newshub.