There was a deeply felt absence at the Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing on Friday morning—the shirtless, greased-up Tongan legend Pita Taufatofua, who sadly isn’t competing at the 2022 event. However, do not despair, as the flag-bearer for American Samoa took up the now-traditional role at Friday’s festivities. Nathan Crumpton, a Princeton grad who grew up in Utah but now competes in skeleton for American Samoa, went for the shirtless and oily look despite it being a frigid 23 degrees Fahrenheit in Beijing. Crumpton’s outfit was a clear tribute to Taufatofua, who, according to the Associated Press, is currently busy trying to coordinate relief efforts in Tonga after it was slammed by a volcano and tsunami last month.
Read it at Associated Press
