He hasn’t even competed yet, but this hunky, oiled-up Olympian has already reached golden-god status.
The enigmatic — and shiny — Tongan flagbearer who stole the show during Friday night’s Opening Ceremony is a little less of a mystery now: He’s a 32-year-old martial artist named Pita Taufatofua.
The black belt is the tiny Polynesian nation’s first-ever competitor in taekwondo.
Not only that, he’s a really nice guy.
According to his Olympic fund raising site, Taufatofua “sacrificed his whole adult life working in homeless shelters with the underprivileged to show and teach people the power of self-belief.”
With his enviable six pack slathered in coconut oil, the shirtless and glistening Tongan quickly became an Internet sensation after his appearance amid the festivities in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium.
“Where is #Tonga and how do I get there,” gushed one smitten Twitter user, @BlondieInTX.
“Fun fact: #Tonga uses over 90% of the world’s oil to keep their flag bearers at maximum glisten,” tweeted another, @BenjaminJS.
Another Twitter user theorized that Taufatofua was actually just wearing insect repellant.