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| Adam Rippon |
Out U.S. figure skater Adam Rippon may have finished tenth in the men's Olympic figure skating event in PyeongChang, but there's no question he is a star at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
After a perfect short program landed Rippon in 7th place, Rippon took to the ice last night for his final Olympic skate.
Even with great athleticism, artistry and star quality, Rippon knew his perfect triple jumps wouldn't be enough to beat his competitors' multiple quadruple jumps.
Watching the scoring, viewers could see the triple axels Rippon landed over and over only garnered about 9-10 technical points while the quad jumps were getting 15-18 points each. Multiply that by 5-6 jumps per skate and you see the math was not in Rippon's favor.
But Rippon gave Olympic fans all that he had. And more.
He skated his long program exactly as he planned landing seven triple jumps, completing every spin and along the way reminded folks that artistry counts.
Additionally, Rippon was authentically "Adam" every step of the way. His charisma and charm captured the hearts of viewers around the world.
As an LGBTQ journalist and advocate, my heart grew three sizes larger as I celebrated Adam's amazing achievement.
“The Olympics are about a whole lot more than just medals,” said NBC commentator Johnny Weir, “and Adam Rippon just proved that.”
Moments after his final Olympic skate, he spoke with passion and clarity about his Olympic experience.
“I have gotten a lot of attention just for being myself,” he said. “A lot of people when they come to a competition are afraid to be themselves, no matter who they are. One thing I want to come with from this competition — I am not a gay icon or America’s gay sweetheart. I am just America’s sweetheart and just an icon. If you have a personality like mine it’s for everybody.”
Rippon leaves PyeongChang with a bronze medal for his perfect performance in the team figure skating event that cemented Team USA's medal win.
Twitter was aglow with praise for Adam.
Finish with a flourish. It's the @adaripp way. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0C4Amf pic.twitter.com/HU4n6ipnok
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2018
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2018
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2018
"He's the winner of the Olympics." Adam Rippon stole everyone's hearts during the Olympics https://t.co/E47mgck1WF— TIME (@TIME) February 17, 2018
And @Adaripp absolutely kills it AGAIN in his last performance at #PyeongChang2018 ! pic.twitter.com/by2aTKfk5s— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) February 17, 2018
Adam Rippon closed out his run in PyeongChang with an emotional performance and Twitter loved it https://t.co/JcJWvUa7Di— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 17, 2018
About to watch the queen take her crown. @Adaripp pic.twitter.com/n5XgAYASmK— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 17, 2018
I don't fully understand figure skating judging so I can't really speculate on the scoring but @Adaripp's performance was truly mesmerizing. You're #1 in our hearts, Adam! So proud of you and inspired by you.— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 17, 2018
Pride flags - one held by @guskenworthy - were unfurled as an emotional Adam Rippon salutes the crowd. Beautiful skate #PyeongChang2018 @Adaripp pic.twitter.com/opuisNpJwq— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) February 17, 2018
the feeling of watching the world stand behind and actively root for a queer person on a global level has been overwhelming.— James Michael (@JMN) February 17, 2018
thank you @Adaripp for helping show LGBTQ youth everywhere that a better world where queer people are authentically celebrated is possible. https://t.co/ct8Ycnd7sK
Athleticism, artistry, and a Heart of Gold. @Adaripp, your positivity and your light shine through in all you do. And this is just the beginning. #WinterOlympics— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) February 17, 2018
Congratulations to openly gay Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) on an incredible #Olympics. From your unapologetic visibility to your incredible skating, it is clear that you are the #BestOfUS. 🏳️🌈⛸✨— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) February 17, 2018
Even without gold, Adam Rippon is an Olympic champion #olympics #AdamRippon https://t.co/OATahae3E8 via @outsports— Cyd Zeigler (@CydZeigler) February 17, 2018
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