A star is born!
On Monday, U.S. figure skater Adam Rippon spoke to Good Morning America‘s Amy Robach in PyeongChang, South Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics where he totally stole the show!
Related: 2018 Winter Olympics Have Broken The Record For Most WHAT?!
After his charming interview, Michael Strahan gushed:
“That was one of the best interviews I’ve ever seen.”
WATCH (below) to see why:
In case you aren’t familiar with the athlete, here are five fast facts!
1. Adam is making history!
When Rippon made the U.S. team, he is believed to be the first openly gay American athlete to qualify for any Winter Olympics!
2. He ALREADY won an Olympic medal, though people think he got robbed!
On Monday, the 28-year-old won a bronze medal in the figure skating team competition behind Russian skater Mikhail Kolyada and Canadian skater Patrick Chan.
However, social media users believe he should’ve won gold as both aforementioned skaters FELL during their routines! People on Twitter wrote:
Adam Rippon was robbed by these judges, and you cannot convince me otherwise. I have two eyes that work just fine, and I know what I saw.#PyeongChang2018
— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) February 12, 2018
maybe i don’t understand how they judge figure skating, but how does someone who falls twice (*ahem* russia & canada) score higher on technical skill than adam rippon, who delivered a flawless, beautiful skate?!
I KNOW WHAT I SAW THEY ROBBED US Y’ALL.
— cadet bone spurs ehsan (@fifimcfae) February 12, 2018
I know Adam Rippon is technically part of the US Olympics team but I’m claiming him for the gays. So I can say that yet again the gays WERE ROBBED.
— Miles (@zombie_midgey) February 12, 2018
In response to the controversy, he told GMA:
“I think we need to get those people who think that I was ripped off on a judging panel immediately. Maybe before the individual competition.”
Because of his award, Rippon is believed to be the first openly gay U.S. athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.
3. Adam is friends with fellow gay Olympian Gus Kenworthy!
As seen on Instagram, the figure skater and the freestyle skier have become quite the duo!
The #OpeningCeremony is a wrap and the 2018 Winter Olympic Gaymes are officially under way! I feel incredibly honored to be here in Korea competing for the US and I’m so proud to be representing the LGBTQ community alongside this amazing guy! Eat your heart out, Pence. #TeamUSA #TeamUSGay 🇺🇲🏳️🌈A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Feb 9, 2018 at 7:29am PST
I’m a proud dad, today. ❤️🥉💛💚💙💜A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on Feb 12, 2018 at 12:22am PST
Adam even describes Gus as “such a sweetheart,” “super nice,” and “super cute”!
4. Adam is giving Vice President Mike Pence the cold shoulder!
Rippon has publicly criticized VP Mike Pence for his long record of anti-gay legislation, and for his reported support of gay conversion therapy, which was denied by Pence spokesman Marc Lotter, according to the New York Times in November 2016.
In an interview with USA Today in January 2018, Adam quipped:
“You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy?… I’m not buying it.”
He also said he would NOT be open to meeting with Pence at the winter games.
“If it were before my event, I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they aren’t a friend of a gay person but that they think that they’re sick… I wouldn’t go out of my way to meet somebody like that.”
On Monday, he reiterated his position to GMA:
“I personally don’t have anything to say to Mike Pence… I’m very lucky because legislation he’s pushed hasn’t affected my life at all. I spoke out because there are people out there whose… lives have been affected by changes that he’s tried to make… Right now I have a voice, and I think it’s really important for me to use it,”
Earlier this month, Pence reached out to Rippon on Twitter, saying he is “proud of [him]” and that he shouldn’t believe the “fake news” suggesting otherwise.
.@Adaripp I want you to know we are FOR YOU. Don’t let fake news distract you. I am proud of you and ALL OF OUR GREAT athletes and my only hope for you and all of #TeamUSA is to bring home the gold. Go get ‘em!
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 8, 20185. Adam has BIG plans after the Olympics!
When he returns to the States, Rippon plans to celebrate at… Target! He told GMA:
“I’m gonna go to Target, and I’m gonna get a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc Oyster Bay, with the twist top. Immediately.”
Adam, you 100% deserve it!
[Image via Adam Rippon/Instagram.]
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