American Samoa is on the Winter Olympics map with the attention on ‘shirtless, oily flag bear’ in freezing temperatures at the opening of the international games in the Chinese capital Beijing.
Nathan Crumpton, is American Samoa’s lone participant at the Games and the talented athlete also competed at the 2020 Olympics in the 100m.
He is the second shirtless athlete from the Pacific Islands after Tonga’s national flag bearer at the opening of a Winter Olympics to catch world attention.
“With everybody’s favorite topless Tongan, Pita Taufatofua, not competing at this year’s Winter Olympics, American Samoa’s Nathan Crumpton ensured we were not deprived of a shirtless flag bearer,” an international media reported.
“While his sport of skeleton — racing headfirst down an ice track at speeds exceeding 80mph on just a small tray — requires a lot of bravery, coming out to temperatures of -5°C with just a generous layer of oil to keep him warm is perhaps even more daring.”
American Samoa is one of 19 countries with just one representative in the Games.
Independent Samoa did not send a team to the Games.