Nathan Crumpton, Opening Ceremony’s Shirtless Flag Bearer, Sole Athlete Representing American Samoa

There’s a new shirtless kid on the block, this time from American Samoa! Nathan Crumpton, a bobsleigh and skeleton athlete, made a striking appearance as the sole representative of the nation and U.S. territory in the chilly Parade of Nations as part of the Winter Games Opening Ceremony.

Crumpton told Inside The Games he is “honored to have qualified for the Winter Olympics and to represent American Samoa, as well as a region of the world that does not often participate in the Winter Games.”

“This has been a long journey, over a decade in the making, with many financial restraints, setbacks, and injuries along the way. But I’m excited to see it through to the finish line,” Crumpton concluded.

He will be the first American Samoan athlete to compete in both the Summer and Winter Games. That’s the second thing he has in common with the Olympian Pita Taufatofua, who has participated in the past three Olympic Games in a row and also made waves as a shirtless flag bearer back in 2016.

Taufatofua may not be competing in the Games Beijing in person this time, but he still showed support for Crumpton in spirit with a humorous tweet saying “American Samoa holding the fort.”

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

— Pita Taufatofua (@pitaTofua) February 4, 2022

Along with being a hugely talented athlete, Crumpton has also worked as a model, photographer, sports announcer, and graduated cum laude from Princeton University.