Pita Taufatofua raised eyebrows Friday night, and says he's thrilled to be a part of his nation's Olympic team.
Of the hundreds of thousands of athletes marching during the Parade of Nations inside Maracana stadium in Rio, one man still has everyone talking.
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Tonga flag bearer Pita Taufatofua walked in shirtless and lathered in coconut oil while wearing a traditional Taʻovala, a skirt-like garment. He sparked a social media storm worthy of a gold medal.
Well hellooooo, Tonga #OpeningCeremony #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/tewSdyQcNC
— Kris Read (@DesignedToFade) August 6, 2016
The sound you hear is your wife running away to the Tongan flag bearer.
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) August 6, 2016
Tongan flag bearer #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/OWlHmtXkwU
— Emily O'Mahoney (@oh_ma_honey) August 6, 2016
On Monday, he spoke with the Today show about his grand Olympic entrance.
The athlete, who will compete in taekwondo, said the experience inside Maracana was "20 years’ worth of hard work" and a "crazy, crazy feeling."
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The women of the Today show accompanied Taufatofua and lathered him in coconut oil. Visibly embarrassed, he tried to continue his interview with Al Roker.
Later, he took to Copacabana beach to show off his taekwondo moves where he said he has been performing the sport since he was five.
"It is a very difficult sport. To get into the ring and fight someone you don’t even hate, that is difficult," he said.
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