Why won’t Tonga flag bearer Pita Taufatofua compete at the 2024 Olympics?

Everyone’s favorite flag bearer is staying on the sidelines.

Peter Taufatofawa– who gained notoriety for appearing shirtless during the opening ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro, Pyeongchang and Tokyo – will not compete in the 2024 Olympics as an athlete.

Unfortunately for his fans, Taufatofua — who represented Tonga in taekwondo at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as in cross-country skiing at the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea — cannot appear as a flag bearer at the opening ceremony without being an athlete. So he literally won’t be able to show off his abilities in competition this year.

“This time, my team and I were unable to compete in the Paris Olympics,” the athlete shared in an Instagram post in April. “I did my best in the kayak and taekwondo qualifiers, but I failed to qualify.”

The 41-year-old took the opportunity to remind his followers of valuable life lessons.