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Pita Taufatofua, the shirtless Tongan flag bearer, qualifies for third consecutive Olympics

Pita Taufatofua, the Tongan athlete known for his shirtless appearances at the past two Olympic opening ceremonies, has secured a spot in Tokyo.

Taufatofua will compete at a third consecutive Olympic Games this summer after clinching a spot in taekwondo at a qualifying event in Australia on Saturday. The 36-year-old beat Steven Tommy of Papua New Guinea in Oceania's qualification event to earn his quota spot. They were the only two competitors in their weight class.

Taufatofua first set out to qualify for the Olympics in a different sport, sprint kayak, before shifting to taekwondo, the sport in which he qualified for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.