'We're going to need more coconut oil': Infamous Tonga flag-bearer qualifies for Tokyo
The Tongan athlete who captured the headlines at past Olympics with his shirtless displays at opening ceremonies will be competing at the Tokyo Games later this year.
Pita Taufatofua was aiming to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in a third different sport, after representing his country in taekwondo at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and cross-country skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Taufatofua has been attempting to qualify for Tokyo in canoe sprint but has yet to do so after a failed attempt at last year's canoe sprint world champs.
However, the 36-year-old sealed a place in Tokyo in taekwondo when he gained the quota spot with a win over Steven Tommy of Papua New Guinea in the Oceania qualifying event in Australia at the weekend. The two combatants were the only entries in their weight class.
Flag bearer Pita Nikolas Aufatofua of Tonga leads his Olympic Team Getty
"Looks like we're going to need more coconut oil - Tonga is going to Tokyo," he said on Instagram.
"Just qualified for our third straight Olympics in my beautiful sport of Taekwondo!"
It's understood Taufatofua will still attempt to meet his goal of competing in three different sports at the Olympics by trying to qualify in the kayak in spring.
Taufatofua hit the headlines at the opening ceremony in Rio when he was Tonga's flagbearer and marched into the stadium wearing a ta'ovala, while he had oiled his torso. He did the same at the Winter Olympics two years later.
His athletic feats at the Olympics have been less heralded. He lost his first round bout 16-1 in Rio to an Iranian opponent and was 114th out of 119 racers in the 15km freestyle race at the Winter Olympics, with controversy surrounding his qualification.
Taufatofua said on his Instagram page that qualifying for Tokyo had been made tough by a fractured rib.
This story was originally published on Stuff NZ and re-published on WWOS with permission
