Beijing Winter Olympics 2022: American Samoa's Nathan Crumpton keeps shirtless-flagbearer tradition alive

The Olympic Games loves a tradition, and a shirtless flagbearer is now well and truly on the list.

For the last three Olympics - the two summer Games in Rio and Tokyo, plus the winter edition in PyeongChang - it has been Tonga's taekwondo/cross-country skiing dual athlete Pita Taufatofua who has braved the sub zero temperatures to march in his country's traditional costume.

Known less for his performances and more for his entrances, the 38-year-old Taufatofua is a UNICEF Ambassador and has raised over NZ$800,000 for relief efforts after the Hunga Tonga volcano eruption sent a devastating tsunami through the Pacific Rim, including hitting Tonga.

Nathan Crumpton carries the American Samoan flag into Beijing's National Stadium. Photo / AP

When the tsunami struck, Taufatofua still hadn't qualified for the Games but said he wouldn't have gone regardless as there are "too many people who are hungry for me to not be focused there."

Taufatofua added: "I'll certainly miss it (but) what the Olympics stands for is more than just sport, and so I feel there's some level of Olympic effort that we're doing now anyway."

However, his baton was gamely picked up by Samoa's Nathan Crumpton, who entered the Bird's Nest stadium shirtless and oiled up for the opening ceremony in -5 temperatures.

Taufatofua immediately took to Twitter to voice his approval of Crumpton's brave entrance saying "American Samoa holding the fort" accompanied by the hashtag #strongertogether.

American Samoa holding the fort 🙌🏽🙌🏽😅😁 #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/g6U7rYIhCs

— Pita Taufatofua (@pitaTofua) February 4, 2022

Born in Kenya and living in Utah, skeleton athlete Crumpton began his early career competing for the United States before switching allegiance to American Samoa.

- with News.com.au