Tonga's shirtless flagbearer learned to cross-country ski in 12 months with the help of a venture capitalist who had failed to do the same 4 years ago

Matthias Hangst/Getty

• Pita Taufatofua made the remarkable transition from taekwondo to cross-country skiing in 12 months to make the Winter Olympics.
• He was aided by Paul Bragiel, a venture capitalist, who once tried to make the Olympics in cross-country skiing.
• Bragiel grew close to the Tongan Olympic team at the Rio Olympics.
• Bragiel gave Taufatofua tips along the way and also helped two other cross-country skiers from Colombia and Mexico get to the games.

After the men's 15km cross-country skiing race at the Winter Olympics, the three last-place finishers, from Mexico, Colombia, and Tonga, went out to celebrate.

They got dinner with their teams and enjoyed a night filled with somaek, a Korean alcoholic drink, before partying at various Olympic houses, returning home at 5:00 in the morning.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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