Tonga's shirtless flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua, who stole the spotlight during the opening ceremony at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, will need a new wardrobe after qualifying for next month's Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Taufatofua offered one of the more memorable moments to kick off an Olympics when he emerged with his torso smeared in oil as he led out his nation's small contingent of competitors during the Summer Games in 2016.
It remains to be seen what he has planned for next month's opening ceremony after Taufatofua qualified for the Winter Games as a cross-country skier.
Taufatofua, the first Tongan skier to qualify for the Olympics, revealed that he was inspired to take up one of the more difficult sports in the Winter Olympics following his early exit in Rio where he competed in taekwondo.
"After Rio I decided to find the hardest sport possible because I needed a new challenge," he said, according to BBC Sport, following Saturday's qualifier in Iceland.
"You've got to put your body through something really challenging and the goal was to do it in one year - and we did it in one year!"
The 34-year-old, who was eliminated from the taekwondo competition following a first-round defeat, had to wait until his final race Saturday before discovering his fate as a Winter Olympic athlete.
"I thought there's one race left, it's the end of the world, in the arctic circle," he said. "I thought, 'I have to give it my all - it's grave or glory' and I gave it absolutely everything.
"We sacrificed everything to be here - financially, I am in the worst position ever but I am the happiest ever."
Unlike the 2016 Summer Olympics when he was joined by six other compatriots, Taufatofua will be the only athlete from Tonga to compete in PyeongChang.
