Pita Taufatofua, a Tongan athlete perhaps best known for his role as a shirtless and oiled flag bearer, will not compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics — to the disappointment of loyal opening ceremony viewers who had hoped for his gleaming return.
The three-time Olympian, who has competed in taekwondo and cross-country skiing, is focused instead on the disaster response to a powerful tsunami that struck his native island nation after a nearby volcano erupted with colossal force. By January, he had not yet qualified to compete and chose not to try to qualify after the disaster struck.