WICHITA, Kan. — While much of America and the world settles in Friday night to watch the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics from Rio de Janeiro, one Newman alumnus will be much busier than your average spectator.

Florian Skilang Temengil, the 2009 Newman graduate and former Jet wrestler, will be taking part in the ceremony in advance of his competing for his native Palau in the freestyle wrestling competition at the games of the XXXI Olympiad.

It is the second appearance in the Olympics for the grappler, who also wrestled at the 2008 Beijing Games. He was defeated in the round of 16, but earned the distinction of being the first wrestler from Palau to score a point in an Olympic bout.

For his second try on the sport's highest stage, Temengil will be going up against the rest of the 125-kilogram bracket in a one-day competition. A random draw will place the 20 wrestlers in the single-elimination bracket, with individuals working their way through until the two semifinal winners are left.

Those two face off for gold and silver, while only wrestlers who have lost to one of the two finalists along the way get a chance at repechage — similar to consolations in American collegiate and high school wrestling — to earn a bronze medal.

"What he's doing is fantastic," said Newman wrestling coach Ryan Smith, who coached Temengil as a Jet. "What an incredible journey he's had, representing his home country not only in 2008, but again in 2016. We're excited for him and we're going to support him in any way we can."

The 125kg freestyle competition takes place Saturday, August 20, beginning at 8 a.m. CDT, with a live stream available at www.nbcolympics.com.