Story Saved</tle><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-outle" d="M20 24L12.5 19.7804L5 24V3H20V24ZM12.5 18.6028L19 22.2336V3.98131H6V22.2336L12.5 18.6028Z" fill="black"></path><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-checkmark" d="M11.5541 13.7033L9 11.2033L9.66216 10.5552L11.5541 12.407L15.3378 8.70331L16 9.35146L11.5541 13.7033Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ AlertMsage-jgAjgo bVCFRm bGlCJj hOUjyY alert-msage"><p>To revis this article, select My Acunt, then<!-- --> <a href="/acunt/saved">View saved stori</a></p></div><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ AoBt eegVhC button button--utily close-alert-button" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" role="button" type="button"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN bBWXSg button__label">Close Alert</span><div class="ButtonInWrapper-gFdzAL bPDyTT button__in-ntaer"><svg class="ButtonIn-YqaGo iwlhuX button-in in in-close" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" xmlns="><path d="M16 14.586l6.364-6.364 1.414 1.414L17.414 16l6.364 6.364-1.414 1.414L16 17.414l-6.364 6.364-1.414-1.414L14.586 16 8.222 9.636l1.414-1.414z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></div></button></div><a href="/th/iate?redirectURL=%2Fstory%2Fadam-rippon-olympics-skater-pence-and-roasts&source=VERSO_NAVIGATION" rel="nofollow" data-ttid="signIn" class="StandardNavigatnAcuntLabel-pyqL bUjZsu">Sign In</a></div><div class="StackedNavigatnConsumerMarketgUnWrapper-epSkjf eqsNVO"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--nav-cta" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--nav-cta"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--nav-rollover" role="prentatn"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--nav-rollover"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--nav-dialog" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--nav-dialog"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div></div><div class="StackedNavigatnDrawer-jtJcEj jydqIN"><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ AoBt eegVhC button button--utily StackedNavigatnDrawerToggle-cycUFN kObYXS" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" role="button" type="button"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN bBWXSg button__label">Open Navigatn Menu</span><div class="ButtonInWrapper-gFdzAL bPDyTT button__in-ntaer"><svg class="ButtonIn-YqaGo iwlhuX button-in in in-menu" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" xmlns="><tle>Menu</tle><path d="M8 10h16v2H8v-2zm0 5h16v2H8v-2zm0 5h16v2H8v-2z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></button><div class="AlertWrapper-gvFATk kzwUyn" data-ttid="BookmarkAlertMobile" role="tooltip"><div aria-hidn="te" role="prentatn" class="AlertArrow-daOgye sUTIg alert-arrow"></div><div aria-hidn="te" role="prentatn" class="AlertInWrapper-iHNVmf iGkvlr"><svg class="in in-bookmark in-bookmark--activated" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Story Saved</tle><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-outle" d="M20 24L12.5 19.7804L5 24V3H20V24ZM12.5 18.6028L19 22.2336V3.98131H6V22.2336L12.5 18.6028Z" fill="black"></path><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-checkmark" d="M11.5541 13.7033L9 11.2033L9.66216 10.5552L11.5541 12.407L15.3378 8.70331L16 9.35146L11.5541 13.7033Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ AlertMsage-jgAjgo bVCFRm bGlCJj hOUjyY alert-msage"><p>To revis this article, vis My Profile, then<!-- --> <a href="/acunt/saved">View saved stori</a></p></div><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ AoBt eegVhC button button--utily close-alert-button" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" role="button" type="button"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN bBWXSg button__label">Close Alert</span><div class="ButtonInWrapper-gFdzAL bPDyTT button__in-ntaer"><svg class="ButtonIn-YqaGo iwlhuX button-in in in-close" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" xmlns="><path d="M16 14.586l6.364-6.364 1.414 1.414L17.414 16l6.364 6.364-1.414 1.414L16 17.414l-6.364 6.364-1.414-1.414L14.586 16 8.222 9.636l1.414-1.414z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></div></button></div></div></div><div data-ttid="StackedNavigatnSectnPrimaryLks" class="StackedNavigatnSectnPrimaryLks-foRfJu ewqpsS"><nav aria-label="Primary" class="NavigatnWrapper-bFftAs fKSZRK StackedNavigatnNavigatnPrimaryLk-hGPvKW dgDiYX" data-ttid="navigatn"><ul class="NavigatnListWrapper-gWXLVS cwnxSh navigatn__list" data-ttid="navigatn__list"><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href="/style" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">Style</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href="/groomg" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">Groomg</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href="/gq-remends" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">Remends</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href="/culture" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">Culture</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href="/wellns" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">Wellns</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href="/gqsports" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">GQ Sports</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href=" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">The GQ Box</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href="/vio" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">Vios</a></li><li class="NavigatnListItemWrapper-cxLZKD dsgTQs navigatn__list-em" data-ttid="navigatn__list-em"><a class="NavigatnInternalLk-cWEaeo knabMb navigatn__lk" href=" data-ttid="navigatn__ternal-lk" role="lk">GQ Shop</a></li></ul></nav><span class="NavigatnDivir-fEDnwq ixXXMs navigatn__divir"></span></div><div class="StackedNavigatnBottom-dpkX bIeNbx"><div class="StackedNavigatnDrawer-jtJcEj jydqIN"><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ AoBt eegVhC button button--utily StackedNavigatnDrawerToggle-cycUFN kObYXS" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" role="button" type="button"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN bBWXSg button__label">Open Navigatn Menu</span><div class="ButtonInWrapper-gFdzAL bPDyTT button__in-ntaer"><svg class="ButtonIn-YqaGo iwlhuX button-in in in-menu" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" xmlns="><tle>Menu</tle><path d="M8 10h16v2H8v-2zm0 5h16v2H8v-2zm0 5h16v2H8v-2z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg></div></button><div class="AlertWrapper-gvFATk kzwUyn" data-ttid="BookmarkAlertMobile" role="tooltip"><div aria-hidn="te" role="prentatn" class="AlertArrow-daOgye sUTIg alert-arrow"></div><div aria-hidn="te" role="prentatn" class="AlertInWrapper-iHNVmf iGkvlr"><svg class="in in-bookmark in-bookmark--activated" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Story Saved</tle><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-outle" d="M20 24L12.5 19.7804L5 24V3H20V24ZM12.5 18.6028L19 22.2336V3.98131H6V22.2336L12.5 18.6028Z" fill="black"></path><path class="in-bookmark-fill in-bookmark--activated-checkmark" d="M11.5541 13.7033L9 11.2033L9.66216 10.5552L11.5541 12.407L15.3378 8.70331L16 9.35146L11.5541 13.7033Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ AlertMsage-jgAjgo bVCFRm bGlCJj hOUjyY alert-msage"><p>To revis this article, vis My Profile, then<!-- --> <a href="/acunt/saved">View saved stori</a></p></div><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ AoBt eegVhC button button--utily close-alert-button" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" role="button" type="button"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN bBWXSg button__label">Close Alert</span><div class="ButtonInWrapper-gFdzAL bPDyTT button__in-ntaer"><svg class="ButtonIn-YqaGo iwlhuX button-in in in-close" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" xmlns="><path d="M16 14.586l6.364-6.364 1.414 1.414L17.414 16l6.364 6.364-1.414 1.414L16 17.414l-6.364 6.364-1.414-1.414L14.586 16 8.222 9.636l1.414-1.414z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></div></button></div></div><div class="StackedNavigatnSectnLogo-gMsxSu fSSYid"><a href="/" class="StackedNavigatnLogoLk-byNqXP dmvHfj"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa rponsive-image"><img alt="GQ" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="/verso/static/gq-global/assets/" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/></picture></a></div><div class="StackedNavigatnSectnMobileOptn-iaaAJG bVfHSV"><div class="StackedNavigatnSectnUtilyLks-kGMcBq eXrsQA"></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--mob-nav-cta" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--mob-nav-cta"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div></div></div></hear><div role="dialog" aria-modal="te" aria-label="Overlay Navigatn" class="SeHearStickyWrapper-kjoINF OverlayNavigatnWrapper-kDSKXC jgLgqn cAaWfL"><div tabx="0" class="OverlayNavigatnBottom-erllG jdGTQo"><nav aria-label="Primary"><ul class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyLks-jcmSIO OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLks-ikmmxq fZRyha eJjgVF"><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href="/style" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">Style</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href="/groomg" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">Groomg</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href="/gq-remends" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">Remends</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href="/culture" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">Culture</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href="/wellns" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">Wellns</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href="/gqsports" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">GQ Sports</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href=" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">The GQ Box</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href="/vio" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">Vios</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnPrimaryListItem-hUnGEG koszUm"><a href=" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnPrimaryLk-kizmap iUEiRd fhQbnq QIss fdBWLH fAaUtQ">GQ Shop</a></li></ul></nav><nav aria-label="Sendary"><ul class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyLks-jcmSIO OverlayNavigatnSendaryLks-chvikc fZRyha dqdxVo"><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnSendaryListItem-eMAoKE koszUm"><a href="/search" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnSendaryLk-cmFezL iUEiRd fhQbnq ktHuaX fdBWLH">SEARCH</a></li><li class="OverlayNavigatnUtilyListItem-fgJYjG OverlayNavigatnSendaryListItem-eMAoKE koszUm"><a href=" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM OverlayNavigatnUtilyLk-jFSPNN OverlayNavigatnSendaryLk-cmFezL iUEiRd fhQbnq ktHuaX fdBWLH">BACK TO </a></li></ul><div class="OverlayNavigatnSocialLks-jzJxrh jOpTD"><p class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlayNavigatnSocialHeadg-libOyq iUEiRd cxFnpL dTrIGS"></p><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--standard"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR fxaFQj social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--stagram social-ins__list-em--standard"><a aria-label="Follow on Instagram" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU cLGRzS social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--stagram" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-stagram" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Instagram</tle><path d="M16 8C18.173 8 18.445 8.01 19.298 8.048C20.15 8.087 20.731 8.222 21.24 8.42C21.766 8.624 22.213 8.898 22.657 9.343C23.102 9.787 23.376 10.233 23.58 10.76C23.778 11.269 23.913 11.85 23.952 12.702C23.991 13.555 24 13.827 24 16C24 18.173 23.99 18.445 23.952 19.298C23.913 20.15 23.778 20.731 23.58 21.24C23.379 21.7738 23.064 22.2574 22.657 22.657C22.213 23.102 21.767 23.376 21.24 23.58C20.731 23.778 20.15 23.913 19.298 23.952C18.445 23.991 18.173 24 16 24C13.827 24 13.555 23.99 12.702 23.952C11.85 23.913 11.269 23.778 10.76 23.58C10.2262 23.379 9.74259 23.064 9.343 22.657C8.93593 22.2574 8.62093 21.7738 8.42 21.24C8.222 20.731 8.087 20.15 8.048 19.298C8.01 18.445 8 18.173 8 16C8 13.827 8.01 13.555 8.048 12.702C8.087 11.85 8.222 11.269 8.42 10.76C8.624 10.234 8.898 9.787 9.343 9.343C9.787 8.898 10.233 8.624 10.76 8.42C11.269 8.222 11.85 8.087 12.702 8.048C13.555 8.01 13.827 8 16 8ZM16 10C14.046 10 13.814 10.007 13.043 10.043C12.329 10.075 11.942 10.194 11.683 10.295C11.3657 10.4124 11.0787 10.5993 10.843 10.842C10.586 11.098 10.427 11.342 10.295 11.684C10.195 11.942 10.075 12.329 10.043 13.043C10.007 13.814 10 14.046 10 16C10 17.954 10.007 18.186 10.043 18.957C10.075 19.671 10.194 20.058 10.295 20.317C10.427 20.658 10.586 20.902 10.842 21.157C11.098 21.414 11.342 21.573 11.684 21.705C11.942 21.805 12.329 21.925 13.043 21.957C13.814 21.993 14.046 22 16 22C17.954 22 18.186 21.993 18.957 21.957C19.671 21.925 20.058 21.806 20.317 21.705C20.658 21.573 20.902 21.414 21.157 21.158C21.414 20.902 21.573 20.658 21.705 20.316C21.805 20.058 21.925 19.671 21.957 18.957C21.993 18.186 22 17.954 22 16C22 14.046 21.993 13.814 21.957 13.043C21.925 12.329 21.806 11.942 21.705 11.683C21.5876 11.3657 21.4007 11.0787 21.158 10.843C20.9219 10.5997 20.6341 10.4124 20.316 10.295C20.058 10.195 19.671 10.075 18.957 10.043C18.186 10.007 17.954 10 16 10ZM16 11.768C16.5558 11.768 17.1061 11.8775 17.6195 12.0901C18.133 12.3028 18.5995 12.6145 18.9925 13.0075C19.3855 13.4005 19.6972 13.867 19.9099 14.3805C20.1225 14.8939 20.232 15.4442 20.232 16C20.232 16.5558 20.1225 17.1061 19.9099 17.6195C19.6972 18.133 19.3855 18.5995 18.9925 18.9925C18.5995 19.3855 18.133 19.6972 17.6195 19.9099C17.1061 20.1225 16.5558 20.232 16 20.232C14.8776 20.232 13.8012 19.7861 13.0075 18.9925C12.2139 18.1988 11.768 17.1224 11.768 16C11.768 14.8776 12.2139 13.8012 13.0075 13.0075C13.8012 12.2139 14.8776 11.768 16 11.768ZM16 18.368C16.628 18.368 17.2303 18.1185 17.6744 17.6744C18.1185 17.2303 18.368 16.628 18.368 16C18.368 15.372 18.1185 14.7697 17.6744 14.3256C17.2303 13.8815 16.628 13.632 16 13.632C15.372 13.632 14.7697 13.8815 14.3256 14.3256C13.8815 14.7697 13.632 15.372 13.632 16C13.632 16.628 13.8815 17.2303 14.3256 17.6744C14.7697 18.1185 15.372 18.368 16 18.368ZM21.3 11.85C21.3 12.155 21.1788 12.4475 20.9632 12.6632C20.7475 12.8788 20.455 13 20.15 13C19.845 13 19.5525 12.8788 19.3368 12.6632C19.1212 12.4475 19 12.155 19 11.85C19 11.545 19.1212 11.2525 19.3368 11.0368C19.5525 10.8212 19.845 10.7 20.15 10.7C20.455 10.7 20.7475 10.8212 20.9632 11.0368C21.1788 11.2525 21.3 11.545 21.3 11.85Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR fxaFQj social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--youtube social-ins__list-em--standard"><a aria-label="Follow on YouTube" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU cLGRzS social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--youtube" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-youtube" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>YouTube</tle><path d="M23.666 11.76C23.5755 11.4196 23.3971 11.109 23.1488 10.8593C22.9005 10.6095 22.5909 10.4294 22.251 10.337C21.003 10 16 10 16 10C16 10 10.997 10 9.749 10.337C9.40915 10.4294 9.09955 10.6095 8.85121 10.8593C8.60287 11.109 8.42451 11.4196 8.334 11.76C8 13.016 8 15.636 8 15.636C8 15.636 8 18.256 8.334 19.512C8.42436 19.8526 8.60265 20.1634 8.851 20.4133C9.09934 20.6632 9.40903 20.8435 9.749 20.936C10.997 21.273 16 21.273 16 21.273C16 21.273 21.003 21.273 22.251 20.936C22.591 20.8435 22.9007 20.6632 23.149 20.4133C23.3974 20.1634 23.5756 19.8526 23.666 19.512C24 18.257 24 15.636 24 15.636C24 15.636 24 13.016 23.666 11.76ZM14.364 18.015V13.257L18.545 15.637L14.364 18.015Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR fxaFQj social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--facebook social-ins__list-em--standard"><a aria-label="Follow on Facebook" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU cLGRzS social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--facebook" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-facebook" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Facebook</tle><path d="M13.621 11.099V13.302H12V15.995H13.621V24H16.951V15.995H19.186C19.186 15.995 19.395 14.704 19.496 13.292H16.964V11.45C16.964 11.175 17.327 10.804 17.686 10.804H19.5V8H17.033C13.539 8 13.621 10.696 13.621 11.099Z" fill="black"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR fxaFQj social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--twter social-ins__list-em--standard"><a aria-label="Follow on Twter" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU cLGRzS social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--twter" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-twter" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Twter</tle><path d="M13.032 22.003C19.07 22.003 22.372 17.001 22.372 12.663C22.3719 12.5216 22.3686 12.3803 22.362 12.239C23.0045 11.7744 23.5592 11.1991 24 10.54C23.401 10.8056 22.7656 10.9799 22.115 11.057C22.8003 10.6467 23.3132 10.0013 23.558 9.24103C22.9138 9.62343 22.209 9.89297 21.474 10.038C20.9799 9.50946 20.325 9.15892 19.6112 9.04091C18.8973 8.9229 18.1644 9.04403 17.5265 9.38545C16.8886 9.72688 16.3813 10.2695 16.0836 10.9289C15.7858 11.5884 15.7142 12.3277 15.88 13.032C14.5746 12.9664 13.2976 12.6269 12.132 12.0356C10.9663 11.4444 9.93808 10.6145 9.114 9.60003C8.69297 10.3223 8.56366 11.1782 8.7525 11.9926C8.94134 12.8071 9.43407 13.5187 10.13 13.982C9.60866 13.9664 9.0987 13.8258 8.643 13.572V13.614C8.64319 14.3718 8.90547 15.1063 9.38536 15.6928C9.86525 16.2793 10.5332 16.6818 11.276 16.832C10.7924 16.9633 10.2852 16.9825 9.793 16.888C10.0027 17.5404 10.411 18.1109 10.961 18.5197C11.5109 18.9286 12.1749 19.1552 12.86 19.168C11.6971 20.0805 10.2611 20.5754 8.783 20.573C8.518 20.573 8.257 20.558 8 20.528C9.5011 21.4921 11.248 22.0038 13.032 22.002" fill="black"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR fxaFQj social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--tiktok social-ins__list-em--standard"><a aria-label="Follow on TikTok" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU cLGRzS social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--tiktok" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-tiktok" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Tiktok</tle><path d="M22.6895 14.4733C22.5587 14.486 22.4275 14.4927 22.2961 14.4933C20.8554 14.4935 19.5115 13.7672 18.7223 12.5618V19.1388C18.7223 21.8235 16.546 24 13.8612 24C11.1764 24 9 21.8236 9 19.1388C9 16.454 11.1764 14.2777 13.8612 14.2777C13.9626 14.2777 14.0619 14.2868 14.1616 14.293V16.6887C14.0619 16.6767 13.9638 16.6584 13.8612 16.6584C12.4909 16.6584 11.3802 17.7692 11.3802 19.1394C11.3802 20.5097 12.4909 21.6204 13.8612 21.6204C15.2317 21.6204 16.4419 20.5407 16.4419 19.1703L16.4659 8H18.7576C18.9737 10.0552 20.6308 11.6603 22.6918 11.811V14.4733" fill="black"></path></svg></div></a></li></ul></div></div></nav></div></div></div><div class="PersistentBottomWrapper-eddooY bIieWF persistent-bottom" data-journey-hook="persistent-bottom"><asi class="PaywallBarWrapper-hbEokK fqCRob paywall-bar"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut paywall-bar__nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--paywall-bar-ll-to-actn" role="prentatn" aria-live="pole" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--paywall-bar-ll-to-actn"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></asi><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--cm-riser" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--cm-riser"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="SpaceHolr-oayp fXtswJ ad-height-hold"></div><div class="StickyHeroAdWrapper-eNLJUc gStsdY ad-stickyhero ad-stickyhero--standard ad-stickyhero-enable-mobile should-hold-space"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--hero"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--hero" data-no-id="0315k8"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-hero" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-hero"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="SpaceHolr-oayp fXtswJ ad-height-hold"></div><ma id="ma-ntent" tabx="-1" class="BasePageMaContent-kFvAuh ewPCZH page__ma-ntent"><article class="article ma-ntent" lang="en-US"><div class="ArticlePageLeBackground-EufvU tFsh"><hear class="ContentHearWrapper-clujbs kaZCaf ntent-hear article__ntent-hear"><div data-ttid="ContentHearContaer" class="ContentHearContaer-cGKRbE knDxNq"><div class="ContentHearHedAccredatnWrapper-GFiQf cDNVlV"><div data-ttid="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper" class="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper-cjmSKp cCntXd"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubric" class="ContentHearRubricBlock-LmpbT eRFpQc"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubricDateBlock" class="ContentHearRubricDateBlock-kAQcZP fTFWxD"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kpuNXj bric ContentHearRubricContaer-eTudtt iRsSlw"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Olympics</span></div></div></div><h1 data-ttid="ContentHearHed" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearHed-NCyCC iUEiRd jPOabC BjYFU">Olympian Adam Rippon Don’t Care What Mike Pence (or Anyone Else) Has to Say</h1></div><div class="ContentHearAccredatn-lfctVB etVsnJ ntent-hear__accredatn" data-ttid="ContentHearAccredatn"><div class="ContentHearDek-bIqFFZ eASNBN">The first-ever openly gay athlete to make a U.S. Wter Olympic team discs old age, his bt Twter roasts, and what he’ll say to the vice print if the two ever meet face-to-face.</div><div class="ContentHearByle-kmPyCa emiglw"><div class="ContentHearByleContent-dpPmNn DRFq"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl ContentHearByl-cZqgyJ bHLeKI"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH gtxxjM byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd fhQbnq dzFUnH eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributor/jay-willis">Jay Willis</a></span></span></p><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH gtxxjM byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">Photography by </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd fhQbnq dzFUnH eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributor/ryan-pfluger">Ryan Pfluger</a></span></span></p></div><time data-ttid="ContentHearPublishDate" dateTime="2018-02-09T08:37:02-05:00" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearPublishDate-eIBicG iUEiRd ivrQAn cZpOSL">Febary 9, 2018</time></div></div><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--standard ContentHearAccredatnSocialIns-jorO fPzfaa ntent-hear__social-share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"></ul></div></div></div><div class="ContentHearLeadAsset-hGbumP fEknXh lead-asset ContentHearLeadAssetWrapper-hfXHEc Grck lead-asset--width-fullbleed" data-ttid="ContentHearLeadAsset"><figure class="ContentHearLeadAssetContent-kOfYSG dRGWbI"><div class="ContentHearLeadAssetContentMedia-bLEIpi jjhWdS lead-asset__ntent__photo"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb hONbnm"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz bDeLJQ"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb hONbnm rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w, 1920w, 2240w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="This image may nta Clothg Apparel Human Person Footwear Shoe and Adam Rippon" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></div></figure></div></div><asi class="PersistentAsiWrapper-VGrR oEIBz persistent-asi persistent-asi--align-left" style="posn:absolute;top:to;height:to" data-ttid="PersistentAsiWrapper"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jNgrSF sticky-box ContentHearPersistentAsi-fsnAmQ dFzKzm"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--has-background ContentHearSocialIns-jzJiyg ctaZl social-ins--share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"></ul></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></asi></hear></div><div data-attribute-verso-pattern="article-body" class="ArticlePageContentBackGround-cNiFNN kJkLmH article-body__ntent"><div class="ArticlePageChunksContent-etcMtP eRxRjL"><div data-ttid="ArticlePageChunks" class="ArticlePageChunks-fLyCVG eSsnKa"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>"Any article I do now is sort of like, 'Gay Olympian Adam Rippon,'" says Adam Rippon, the 28-year-old figure skater who do, fact, own the distctn of beg the first openly gay athlete ever to make a U.S. Wter Olympic team. It wasn't until several weeks after his selectn, though, that the label beme practilly mandatory to clu stori about Rippon, when he sharply cricized the cisn to have stg vice print and noted homophobe Mike Pence lead the Amerin legatn to the openg ceremony Pyeongchang. "You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that fund gay nversn therapy?" he asked an terview wh <a href="><em>USA Today</em></a>. "I’m not buyg ."</p><p>Rippon unrstands why his prence on the team matters, and for reasons that go beyond the simple fact that he managed to earn his first Olympic berth at an age when many of his fellow skaters have retired om ternatnal petn. When we spoke, he sound ls weary of discsg the subject than bemed by the equency wh which he's had to do so recently. "Beg gay has never been a big al to <em>me</em>, which is why 's a ltle funny to be gettg all this attentn about ," he explaed. Bis, focg too heavily on the historil signifince of Adam Rippon's trip to Pyeongchang oms a lot of other crilly important tails about him. For example: Adam Rippon is funny.</p><div aria-label="social media post" class="TwterEmbedContaer-ggEzfU fHwbKp"><div class="MsageBannerWrapper-krrtvl dPWdqP ConsentBannerWrapper-bMdLtU WTFWJ" data-ttid="msage-banner"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ MsageBannerContent-gLUJfX iUEiRd eEowro fVWngD"><h4 class="ConsentBannerTle-lgaGAH gOfech">Twter ntent</h4><p>This ntent n also be viewed on the se <a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ConsentBannerLk-dJZMSz iUEiRd eEowro ftMTjc">origat</a> om.</p></div></div></div><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad---ntent"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot---ntent" data-no-id="tgb8rs"></div></div><p>Rippon isn't jt famo-person funny, or brand-manager funny, or rporate-sponsor-approved funny. He is really, lightfully, snicker-to-yourself-and-send-a-screenshot-to-the-group-text funny. On social media, he alternat between <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">roastg</a> the anonymo bigots who have taken up semi-permanent rince his mentns; postg pictur of himself <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">warmly embracg his biggt fan</a>; and searchg for opportuni to ploy the perfect meme at the perfect moment. "I'm proud of a <em>lot</em> of thgs I've said on Twter," he admted, lghg cheerfully at his own shamelsns.</p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p>Wry self-pretn is a specialty. At one pot, I asked him about some good-natured fun he poked at the differenc between his route and that of his trag partner, Nathan Chen—a gold-medal favore who is also ten years his junr. Rippon immediately duced what my haltg scriptn of an old tweet referred to, and then had to pse every few words to tch his breath bee he found himself unable to stop lghg.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="jmb1h"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><div aria-label="social media post" class="TwterEmbedContaer-ggEzfU fHwbKp"><div class="MsageBannerWrapper-krrtvl dPWdqP ConsentBannerWrapper-bMdLtU WTFWJ" data-ttid="msage-banner"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ MsageBannerContent-gLUJfX iUEiRd eEowro fVWngD"><h4 class="ConsentBannerTle-lgaGAH gOfech">Twter ntent</h4><p>This ntent n also be viewed on the se <a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ConsentBannerLk-dJZMSz iUEiRd eEowro ftMTjc">origat</a> om.</p></div></div></div><p>"Maybe a year ago, this <em>amazg</em> terview wh the st of Victoria Jtice's Nickeloon show rurfaced, and they're all talkg about Ariana Gran," he explaed before lnchg to an exaggerated recatn of the <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ensug dialogue</a> om memory. "'Oh, she sgs all the time, and she has <em>such</em> a great voice.’ And then they zoom on Victoria"—here, he really starts losg —"and she's sg, but you n tell that she's gettg <em>pissed</em>. My favore part is that at the end, they jt turn her voice all the way up and she's like, 'ACTUALLY, WE ALL SING. WE ALL SING.'"</p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p>Rippon was named as a send alternate to the U.S. team 2010, and he missed out altogether 2014 on the heels of an eighth-place fish at that year’s qualifier. As a rult, he'll be petg 2018 as both an Olympic rookie and also as somethg of a grizzled veteran his sport. (Moments after wng gold at the 2016 U.S. champnships, an ecstatic Rippon memorably <a href=">told</a> NBC’s Andrea Joyce, "I'm like a wch! You n't kill me! I keep g back every year, and every year I get better!") In between tune-ups at his home ice Los Angel, Rippon spoke to <em>GQ</em> about his newfound role as an in the LGBTQ muny; his poted criqu of the eyebrows of total strangers; and his proposal for rolvg that beef wh the vice print of the Uned Stat, should the opportuny happen to prent self anytime soon.</p><hr/><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Image may nta Human Person Sport Sports Skatg Ice Skatg Rk Clothg Shoe Footwear and Apparel" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="gq66e"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><strong>GQ: A four-hour practice is a <em>long</em> time for anyone to be out on the ice. Do you ever get bored? Do you ever try... listeng to a podst, or somethg?</strong></p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-1 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p><em>Adam Rippon</em>: I'm on the ice for long hours, but skatg is not like, say, ridg a bike. I have to go through all my programs, and even though they’re only three mut long, there's <em>so</em> much sh we need to do—we repeat different sectns, and do drills wh different jumps. If I <em>uld</em> listen to a podst, I probably would.</p><p><strong>Do you have a go-to podst?</strong></p><p>I don't. I'm lame—ually, I jt put on NPR and listen to what's gog on the world outsi the rk.</p><p><strong>That might get too prsg, if you were tryg to foc on somethg really difficult out there.</strong></p><p>Yeah, but sometim 's so rage-ducg that uld work! Sometim I’ll be listeng to NPR at the gym, and I’ll hear them say, "Oh, Donald Tmp did this today." And I’m like, "WHAT?!" All of a sudn I have more energy than if I drank an prso.</p><p><strong>"I'M WORKING OUT FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS. FUCK IT."</strong></p><p>EXACTLY.</p><p><strong>You seem to relish teractg wh people on Twter—particularly wh those who @ you wh some brand of homophobia. The first le of beg on the Inter is to never read the ments. What pels you to do anyway?</strong></p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-2 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>I mean… I don't follow the l! But I thk—I don't engage wh people who are, like, nately <em>nasty</em>. I engage wh people who are mean and <em>also</em> stupid, bee 's so easy to turn around and make funny.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Image may nta Text Page Human and Person" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><p>I <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">tweeted</a> a while ago about an terview which I was asked what 's like to be a gay athlete, and I said, "It's exactly like beg a straight athlete, except wh better eyebrows." Over the past few weeks, this has led to me talkg more about my eyebrows than I have my entire life. And then, someone—[<em>lghs</em>]—sent me a tweet—[<em>lghs harr</em>]—askg, "Oh, so you thk you have better eyebrows than straight people?" And I was like, <em>Wow. It sounds like your eyebrows probably aren't that nice.</em></p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="1pp90t"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><strong>I was a ltle surprised to learn that 2018, the Uned Stat still had yet to have an openly gay Wter Olympian. What’s important to you about changg that? What do you want people to e away thkg after they watch you pete?</strong></p><p>For me, too, was kd of shockg—and now there are two, me and G Kenworthy. It’s important to be out, though, bee when 's new and h, 's easier for other people to do . The next athlet who e out won't be "gay Olympians." We'll jt ll them "Olympians." Which is what they are, and what I am.</p><p>I know what 's like to be young and to feel like you don't belong. I always said that if I had the platform and the opportuny to share my story and make easier for others, I would—so that, a way, I n be the role mol that I was lookg for as a kid.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Image may nta Human Person Clothg and Apparel" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><p><strong>You me out 2015. What ma you ci that that was the right time to do ?</strong></p><p>About a year after Rsia’s <a href=">"gay propaganda" law</a> was enacted, reporters were askg athlet about at a media summ before the 2014 Sochi Gam. Everybody kd of tried to skip the qutn, but when they got to one of my very bt iends, <a href=">Ashley Wagner</a>, she <a href=">said</a>, "It's terrible. It's a stupid law, and don't make any sense. Some of my bt iends are gay, and I have a brother who is gay. They are no different or ls than anybody else."</p><p>When she me back, I told her, "Ashley, I'm so proud of you. I n’t believe you spoke your md." And she said, "What are you proud of? It's jt not right." She changed my world that moment. After the Olympics were over, U.S. Figure Skatg wanted to do a <a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ver story</a> for their magaze wh Ashley and me, and I said that I wanted to talk about beg gay—to very sually brg up the article. I felt that was important to talk about, bee is part of my story. But isn't my whole story. It's jt part of who I am.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="phzmea"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><strong>You're petg wh two teenage teammat, Nathan Chen and Vcent Zhou, who are 18 and 17 years old, rpectively. What's like beg the elr statman of that crew?</strong></p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-3 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>I'm the olst of six, and Nathan—we tra together every day—is the youngt of five, so I look at him like he's one of my ltle brothers. I feel that I have a lot to offer as a petor, but also as a big brother to make sure that they're alright. I have ten more years on pla Earth than they do, and I've experienced a lot of ups and downs. I've told both of them separately that if they ever need anythg, they n always e to me.</p><div class="GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn laelsA llout--has-top-borr" data-ttid="GenericCallout"><blockquote class="BlockquoteEmbedWrapper-sc-SdiGL ftKRsD blockquote-embed"><div class="BlockquoteEmbedContent-RbGs lhlcJF blockquote-embed__ntent"><p>The next athlet who e out won't be "gay Olympians." We'll jt ll them "Olympians." Which is what they are.</p></div></blockquote></div><p><strong>I’m 30, and while I’m gusg that you, an Olympian, are a multu of ways more athletic than me, a wrer, 28 isn’t that far off. How are you alg wh the ach and pas that your teenage teammat might not experience? What’s like starg down your own mortaly?</strong></p><p>You know, I've really had to let go of thkg about thgs like, <em>Oh God, I'm gettg olr</em>. Every day, I have to go to the rk and thk about how far I n ph myself. When I was 18, was, <em>Fuck , I'm gog to do everythg balls to the wall until they turn the lights out.</em> If I did that now—my surance isn’t good enough for me to end up urgent re every day.</p><p>As an athlete, I know that I'm such a perfectnist that I'll want to go out and keep workg on somethg over and over, until ’s perfect. Part of growg up is learng to take a step back. <em>It's okay. I n leave this alone right now and work on somethg else</em>. That's enabled me have a long reer for a skater. By lettg go of feelg old, and the doubts that go along wh that, my last four years have been my bt four years, too.</p><p><strong>When you were asked about Mike Pence's selectn as the lear of the U.S. legatn, you said that you had no tert meetg wh him before the Gam, and you later <a href=">cled</a> an vatn to speak private. But you also said that you might be willg to have an "open nversatn" <a href=">after the petn is over</a>. What do that look like? What would you tell him?</strong></p><p>Here’s the thg: <em>I</em> have nothg to say to him. I'm very lucky that Mike Pence has had ltle to no effect on <em>my</em> life. If we were to meet, I would want to brg people whose liv have been changed by legislatn he has phed. As a member of the LGBT muny, I want to speak out, bee he's spoken about people like me.</p><p>If the opportuny aris later for me to have a nversatn wh him, 's not for me. It's for the people who have real stori to tell about why they need to be heard, and why they serve to be treated as equal Amerin cizens, jt like any other person.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Image may nta Clothg Apparel Footwear Adam Rippon Shoe Human Person Stg Sleeve and Long Sleeve" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="joyyb4"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p><strong>If you uld replace Pence as head of the legatn, who would you pick?</strong></p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-4 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>I don't know, but I do feel that Print Obama's <a href=">cisn</a> to have gay former Olympic gold medalists lead the Sochi legatn 2014 was a really poignant choice. It was sort of like, "Here we are. You want to tell them that they are ls than anyone else? That's bullsh. The are Olympic athlet. The are our champns."</p><p><strong>What’s the pettit thg you’re lookg forward to at the Gam?</strong></p><p>I n't wa to go through Olympic procsg, where we get our uniforms and everythg. One of the people I skate wh every day jt said to me, "You wear a different Olympics T-shirt every day." Which is te! But I was like, "Bch, I've been llectg the for the past <em>eight years</em>. In the two weeks before I actually get to go to the Olympics, I'm wearg every fuckg T-shirt I've ever gotten my entire life that has the Olympic rgs on ."</p><p><strong>You have <a href=">scribed</a> your route for the Gam as "a ltle trashy and a ltle fun." Is more trashy, or more fun?</strong></p><p>I don't know! I've been dog this route all season, and I'm exced for the whole world to see me be a ltle trashy and a ltle fun. [<em>pse</em>] Hopefully a <em>lot</em> of fun, and a <em>ltle</em> trashy. You'll have to ci for yourself.</p><p><strong>Maybe the ltle trashy part is what will make a lot of fun?</strong></p><p>Exactly. THANK you.</p><p><strong>Do you have any opns about the <a href=">openg ceremony uniforms</a> you get to wear this year?</strong></p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-5 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>Maybe if this were my fifth Olympic Gam, I'd say, "Oh, I wish were like this, or like that." But hontly, at this pot my life, if they said, "Here's your openg ceremony outf," and then hand me a piece of rope and some broken sticks and a trash bag, I'd be like, "IT'S GORGEOUS. I'LL MAKE IT WORK."</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 PaywallInleBarrierWhWrapperGrid-fyrGfS jyGBoi"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="body body__le-barrier article__body article__body--grid-margs"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"><asi class="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper-iBnuqk lfXXa-D" data-ttid="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--paywall-le-barrier" role="prentatn" aria-live="pole" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--paywall-le-barrier"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></asi></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ContentWrapperGrid-fvkmBv jfHKjr"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="body body__ntaer"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"></div></div></div></div></div></div></article><div class="ContentFooterWrapper-jVNdRG dTJkpP ArticlePageContentFooterGrid-ccsXYy eMZRHU article-body__footer"><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div data-ttid="TagCloudWrapper" class="TagCloudWrapper-gGgndx izEVNC ContentFooterTagCloud-krQmRG ZLGh"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudSectnHear-cOforY iUEiRd dUgcfE kQQRmu">Related Stori for GQ</span><a href="/about/lgbtq" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd fhQbnq iGlBER hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd fdqZBT bUkXwu">LGBTQ</span></a><a href="/about/important-issu" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd fhQbnq iGlBER hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd fdqZBT bUkXwu">Important Issu</span></a></div></div></div></div><div data-ttid="ContentFooterBottom" class="ContentFooterBottom-jwWZfC kcbyiW"><div class="ntent-bottom-anchor"></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-footer" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-footer"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="recirc-list-wrapper viewport-monor-anchor"><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><asi class="RecircListTextOverlayWrapper-EAayj ikNPKA ContentFooterRelated-kEBiFe kVUuwq"><div class="recirc-list__ntaer"><hear class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ RecircListTextOverlayHeadg-icEzDE iUEiRd fWXTnu iCFeNq">Read More</hear><ul class="RecircListTextOverlayItems-kknlpG lpbERO recirc-list__ems hi-read-more-ad"><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz iqnk"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Meet the Mall-Prep Style In of the Summer, Adam Jockle" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></div></div></picture></span><div class="OverlaySummaryItemContent-ddGOWz fHZSgO"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX hXmUmf bric bric--wh-bg BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemRubric-bFqsqT iUEiRd bGlCJj cvqxGA"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Style</span></div><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemHed-cljMtD iUEiRd hNEuYK cRpZRn">Meet the Mall-Prep Style In of the Summer, Adam Jockle</div></div></div><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl OverlaySummaryItemByl-bogcUE fjwtNK"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH bfGBQB byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Kate Ldsay</span></span></p></div></div></a></li><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz iqnk"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><img alt="What Sneakers Did Timothée Chalamet Buy to Play Pickup Basketball Wh Adam Sandler?" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></div></div></picture></span><div class="OverlaySummaryItemContent-ddGOWz fHZSgO"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX hXmUmf bric bric--wh-bg BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemRubric-bFqsqT iUEiRd bGlCJj cvqxGA"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Style</span></div><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemHed-cljMtD iUEiRd hNEuYK cRpZRn">What Sneakers Did Timothée Chalamet Buy to Play Pickup Basketball Wh Adam Sandler?</div></div></div><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl OverlaySummaryItemByl-bogcUE fjwtNK"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH bfGBQB byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Eileen Cartter</span></span></p></div></div></a></li><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--read-more"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--read-more" data-no-id="4wqcpo"></div></div><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz iqnk"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Every Pop Star Reference The Idol" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></div></div></picture></span><div class="OverlaySummaryItemContent-ddGOWz fHZSgO"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX hXmUmf bric bric--wh-bg BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemRubric-bFqsqT iUEiRd bGlCJj cvqxGA"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></div><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemHed-cljMtD iUEiRd hNEuYK cRpZRn">Every Pop Star Reference <em>The Idol</em></div></div></div><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl OverlaySummaryItemByl-bogcUE fjwtNK"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH bfGBQB byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Ilana Kaplan</span></span></p></div></div></a></li><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz iqnk"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><img alt="The Real Grail the New Indiana Jon Movie Is His Swaggerg Drs Watch" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></div></div></picture></span><div class="OverlaySummaryItemContent-ddGOWz fHZSgO"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX hXmUmf bric bric--wh-bg BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemRubric-bFqsqT iUEiRd bGlCJj cvqxGA"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">GQ Remends</span></div><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemHed-cljMtD iUEiRd hNEuYK cRpZRn">The Real Grail the New <em>Indiana Jon</em> Movie Is His Swaggerg Drs Watch</div></div></div><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl OverlaySummaryItemByl-bogcUE fjwtNK"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH bfGBQB byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Jeremy Freed</span></span></p></div></div></a></li></ul></div></asi></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="TaboolaWrapper-hMVdpE iYfBhy"><div class="TaboolaWidgetWrapper-egPIjc hkSrgt TaboolaWidget-eUSdED hQCCRa" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetWrapper"><div class="TaboolaWidgetContent-iBEQTO eXroXG TABOOLA" id="taboola-below-article-thumbnails" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetContent"></div></div></div></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsWrapper-gPnqA-d dJvybl"><div class="CouponGrid-bStwlh eCKeZn"><div class="SectnTleRoot-dBGvdq klEKWz SavgsUnedCouponsSectnTle-ffHT cVDRuh" data-ttid="SectnTle"><h2 class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SectnTleHed-dKqZet dxqEAa cRNJgA jttyjJ"><a href=">GQ COUPONS</a></h2></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsGrid-hNUgHS fxJPKY"><a aria-label="Wayfair Coupon" href=" name="Wayfair" tle="Wayfair Coupon" data-sectn-tle="upons click 1" class="SavgsUnedCouponsGridItems-kBWhyw anGdi"><div href=" name="Wayfair Coupon" class="CouponRponsiveImage-kiuGOG kfkhmg"><img alt=" src=" class="CouponLogo-gFSxCq khxGWu"/></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsContent-ZcHKX fTKlBe"><span class="SavgsUnedCouponsAnchorText-ejgREu eFKTtX">Wayfair Coupon</span><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr fMMBZW"><p data-ttid="CouponItemDek" class="SavgsUnedCouponsOfferDek-cwvRdE ecBjIF">Wayfair's Summer Clearance Sale: Up to 70% off</p></div></div></div></a><a aria-label="Target Promo Co" href=" name="Target" tle="Target Promo Co" data-sectn-tle="upons click 2" class="SavgsUnedCouponsGridItems-kBWhyw anGdi"><div href=" name="Target Promo Co" class="CouponRponsiveImage-kiuGOG kfkhmg"><img alt=" src=" class="CouponLogo-gFSxCq khxGWu"/></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsContent-ZcHKX fTKlBe"><span class="SavgsUnedCouponsAnchorText-ejgREu eFKTtX">Target Promo Co</span><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr fMMBZW"><p data-ttid="CouponItemDek" class="SavgsUnedCouponsOfferDek-cwvRdE ecBjIF">Enjoy 25% Off sewi w/ this Target promo </p></div></div></div></a><a aria-label="Michaels upon" href=" name="Michaels" tle="Michaels upon" data-sectn-tle="upons click 3" class="SavgsUnedCouponsGridItems-kBWhyw anGdi"><div href=" name="Michaels upon" class="CouponRponsiveImage-kiuGOG kfkhmg"><img alt=" src=" class="CouponLogo-gFSxCq khxGWu"/></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsContent-ZcHKX fTKlBe"><span class="SavgsUnedCouponsAnchorText-ejgREu eFKTtX">Michaels upon</span><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr fMMBZW"><p data-ttid="CouponItemDek" class="SavgsUnedCouponsOfferDek-cwvRdE ecBjIF">Acrylic pat - Save 20% w/ Michaels upon</p></div></div></div></a><a aria-label="Asos Promo Co" href=" name="ASOS" tle="Asos Promo Co" data-sectn-tle="upons click 4" class="SavgsUnedCouponsGridItems-kBWhyw anGdi"><div href=" name="Asos Promo Co" class="CouponRponsiveImage-kiuGOG kfkhmg"><img alt=" src=" class="CouponLogo-gFSxCq khxGWu"/></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsContent-ZcHKX fTKlBe"><span class="SavgsUnedCouponsAnchorText-ejgREu eFKTtX">Asos Promo Co</span><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr fMMBZW"><p data-ttid="CouponItemDek" class="SavgsUnedCouponsOfferDek-cwvRdE ecBjIF">ASOS Promo Co: 25% Off Sewi</p></div></div></div></a><a aria-label="32 Degre Coupon" href=" name="32 Degre" tle="32 Degre Coupon" data-sectn-tle="upons click 5" class="SavgsUnedCouponsGridItems-kBWhyw anGdi"><div href=" name="32 Degre Coupon" class="CouponRponsiveImage-kiuGOG kfkhmg"><img alt=" src=" class="CouponLogo-gFSxCq khxGWu"/></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsContent-ZcHKX fTKlBe"><span class="SavgsUnedCouponsAnchorText-ejgREu eFKTtX">32 Degre Coupon</span><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr fMMBZW"><p data-ttid="CouponItemDek" class="SavgsUnedCouponsOfferDek-cwvRdE ecBjIF">32 Degre promo : Sre Free shippg</p></div></div></div></a><a aria-label="Zappos Promo Co" href=" name="Zappos" tle="Zappos Promo Co" data-sectn-tle="upons click 6" class="SavgsUnedCouponsGridItems-kBWhyw anGdi"><div href=" name="Zappos Promo Co" class="CouponRponsiveImage-kiuGOG kfkhmg"><img alt=" src=" class="CouponLogo-gFSxCq khxGWu"/></div><div class="SavgsUnedCouponsContent-ZcHKX fTKlBe"><span class="SavgsUnedCouponsAnchorText-ejgREu eFKTtX">Zappos Promo Co</span><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr fMMBZW"><p data-ttid="CouponItemDek" class="SavgsUnedCouponsOfferDek-cwvRdE ecBjIF">Zappos: Save 10% wh ! Milary, stunt, teacher disunts</p></div></div></div></a></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--footer should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--footer" data-no-id="e8nrnh"></div></div></div></div></div></ma><div class="BasePageMaFooterFiller-hTlZph jSriYf page__ma-footer-filler"></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--cm-footer" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--cm-footer"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan BasePageSeFooterRow-kpEBGH jqlJed"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 BasePageSeFooterRowGrid-iBGjXL zQNeb"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><footer class="SeFooterWrapper-bXjkRY cWRwDX se-footer--wh-store"><div class="SeFooterGridNoMargs-jSrXSj kdlxBX" data-ttid="SeFooterGridNoMargs"><div class="SeFooterBrandInfo-cdoqKy cdkwFG"><div class="SeFooterLogo-eYlNHY eigdAF se-footer__logo"><a href="/"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset SeFooterLogoRponsiveAsset-ckjzWk kubVDn se-footer__rponsive-image"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SeFooterLogoRponsiveAsset-ckjzWk kubVDn se-footer__rponsive-image rponsive-image"><img alt="GQ" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="/verso/static/gq-global/assets/" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/></picture></span></a></div><div data-ttid="SeFooterAbout" class="SeFooterAbout-lflfWa eVMDfx"><div class="SeFooterAboutText-XXKBX blTbmF">Sce 1957, GQ has spired men to look sharper and live smarter wh s unparalleled verage of style, culture, and beyond. From award-wng wrg and photography to bge-ready vios to electric live events, GQ meets lns of morn men where they live, creatg the moments that create nversatns.</div></div><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV hwdgCG social-ins social-ins--footer SeFooterSocialIns-cLAKVY pJQob"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA gBoIvv social-ins__list"><li class="SocialInsListItem-mbhR gQILrJ social-ins__list-em social-ins__list-em--stagram social-ins__list-em--footer"><a aria-label="Follow on Instagram" class="external-lk SocialInExternalLk-huuzOU kIrcWf social-ins__lk social-ins__lk--stagram" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><div class="SocialInContaer-huXzUC pMzVC social-ins__in-ntaer"><svg class="SocialInNetworkInComponent-cZaKGz dlOAhZ in in-stagram" focable="false" viewBox="0 0 32 32" width="32" height="32" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>Instagram

rippon gay athlete

How much an out gay Olympian uld mean to a kid now—or to a 34-year-old who’s been wag for his whole life.

Contents:

ADAM {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS WH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2018 PYEONGCHANG {LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}BY TIM {DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: SEP 29, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1989-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO IS ADAM RIPPON?ADAM RIPPON DISPLAYED IMMENSE EARLY PROMISE AS A FIGURE SKATER WH BACK-TO-BACK WS AT THE WORLD JUNR CHAMPNSHIPS. HE MISSED OUT ON BERTHS WH THE U.S. TEAMS FOR THE 2010 AND 2014 WTER OLYMPICS BUT REGAED HIS STANDG THE SPORT WH A W AT THE 2016 U.S. NATNAL CHAMPNSHIPS. IN 2018, RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS, WHERE HE WON A BRONZE MEDAL AND EMERGED AS A FAN FAVORE.EARLY LIFERIPPON WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 11, 1989, SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA. DISVERED TO BE NEARLY AF, HE UNRWENT RRECTIVE EAR SURGERY BEFORE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY.RIPPON'S PARENTS DIVORCED WHEN HE WAS 13, AND HE HAS NOTED THAT HE IS NOT CLOSE WH HIS FATHER. THE OLST OF SIX CHILDREN, RIPPON WAS RAISED THE BLUE-LLAR TOWN OF CLARKS SUMM, AN ENVIRONMENT NOT ALWAYS WELG TO A BOY G TO GRIPS WH HIS HOMOSEXUALY. HIS MOM, KELLY, A FORMER DANCER AND SKATG ENTHIAST, TRIED TO AX HIM ONTO THE ICE; IALLY RISTANT, HE CHANGED HIS MD AFTER JOG IENDS FOR AN ICE-SKATG THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY.WH MONTHS, KELLY WAS MAKG THE TWO-HOUR-PL TRIP TO PHILALPHIA TWICE PER WEEK FOR HER OLST SON'S LSONS. AT AGE 11, RIPPON WAS CHOSEN TO PORTRAY A YOUNG {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}STT HATON A STARS ON ICE REVUE, HIS FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE EXPERIENCE OF SKATG BEFORE AN APPRECIATIVE CROWD.SKATG CAREERRIPPON'S REER GOT OFF TO A VERY PROMISG START WHEN HE WON THE 2007 JUNR GRAND PRIX FAL TLE AND FOLLOWED BY BEG THE FIRST MALE TO W BACK-TO-BACK WORLD JUNR TL, 2008 AND 2009. HE HOPED TO LEVERAGE THAT MOMENTUM TO A SPOT ON THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2010 VANUVER OLYMPICS BUT END UP BEG SELECTED AS AN ALTERNATE.A SILVER MEDALIST AT THE 2012 NATNALS, RIPPON MOVED TO LOS ANGEL THAT YEAR TO BEG TRAG WH NOTED ACH RAFAEL ATUNIAN. HOWEVER, HE SUFFERED ONE OF THE BIGGT SETBACKS OF HIS REER WH AN EIGHTH-PLACE FISH AT THE 2014 NATNALS, DASHG ANY HOP OF NSIRATN FOR THE SOCHI GAM. DPONNT, RIPPON NSIRED QUTG SKATG, BEFORE REKDLG HIS LOVE FOR THE SPORT BY CHOREOGRAPHG ROUT FOR FELLOW SKATERS ASHLEY WAGNER AND MIRAI NAGASU.RIPPON BOUNCED BACK TO GRAB ANOTHER SILVER AT THE 2015 NATNALS, BEFORE WNG HIS FIRST U.S. TLE 2016. A ACTURED FOOT PREVENTED HIM OM FENDG HIS TLE 2017, BUT HE RETURNED LATER THE YEAR TO EARN SILVER BOTH OF HIS GRAND PRIX EVENTS.AT THE 2018 NATNALS, RIPPON FELL ON HIS OPENG JUMP OF THE LONG PROGRAM AND FISHED FOURTH PLACE. HOWEVER, HE WAS GIVEN CRED FOR HIS OVERALL BODY OF WORK FOR THE SEASON AND CHOSEN FOR ONE OF THE THREE SPOTS ON THE U.S. MEN'S TEAM, ALONGSI NATHAN CHEN AND VCENT ZHOU, GIVG HIM HIS LONG-AWAED OLYMPIC OPPORTUNY.GAY OLYMPIANWH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. OLYMPIC MEN'S FIGURE SKATG TEAM JANUARY 2018, ADAM RIPPON, WHO REVEALED HIS SEXUALY THE OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE OF SKATG, BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN ATHLETE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS.RIPPON WAS NOT THE ONLY ACKNOWLEDGED GAY ATHLETE AT THE PYEONGCHANG GAM; HE WAS JOED ON THE U.S. SQUAD BY CELEBRATED SKIER G KENWORTHY, THOUGH KENWORTHY'S SEXUALY WAS STILL A SECRET WHEN HE WON HIS SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2014 SOCHI GAM. ADDNALLY, SKATG ANALYST JOHNNY WEIR WAS MORED TO BE GAY DURG HIS DAYS AS AN ACTIVE PETOR, THOUGH HE REMAED TIGHT-LIPPED ON THE SUBJECT UNR THE SPOTLIGHT OF THE 2006 AND 2010 GAM.2018 OLYMPIC PERFORMANCERIPPON MA ADDNAL HISTORY WH HIS OLYMPIC BUT FEBARY 2018, BEG THE OLST FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN TO REPRENT THE U.S. FIGURE SKATG SCE GEE HILL 1936.COMPETG THE MEN'S EE SKATE, RIPPON LIVERED A FLAWLS PERFORMANCE CHOREOGRAPHED TO COLDPLAY'S "O" AND THE CEMATIC ORCHTRA'S "ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS," THE LATTER CHOSEN TO REPRENT HIS RECENT EBACK OM A ACTURED ANKLE. ALTHOUGH HIS FANS QUTNED WHY HE ONLY PLACED THIRD THE EVENT — BEHD TWO OTHER SKATERS WHO FELL WHILE ATTEMPTG DIFFICULT MOV — HIS PERFORMANCE WAS STILL GOOD ENOUGH HELP THE U.S. W THE BRONZE MEDAL THE TEAM EVENT.LATER, RIPPON AGA DAZZLED THE CROWD WH HIS CLEAN PERFORMANC THE SHORT AND LONG PROGRAMS OF THE DIVIDUAL MEN'S SKATE. WHILE THE LACK OF QUAD JUMPS HIS REPERTOIRE MA HIM A LONG SHOT TO MEDAL, HE STILL FISHED A RPECTABLE 10TH PLACE, WHILE EMERGG AS ONE OF THE FAN FAVOR OF THE GAM.'DANCG WH THE STARS'IN APRIL 2018, WAS ANNOUNCED THAT RIPPON WAS JOG THE ST OF A SHORTENED N OF DANCG WH THE STARS: ATHLET. PAIRED WH JENNA JOHNSON, HE WAS TO PETE AGAST FELLOW 2018 OLYMPIANS LIKE MIRAI NAGASU AND JAMIE ANRSON, AS WELL AS NOTOR FORMER FIGURE SKATG CHAMPN TONYA HARDG. RIPPON AND JOHNSON WON THE PETN ON MAY 21, 2018.RIPPON ON INSTAGRAM AND TWTERRIPPON FOUND HIS SOCIAL MEDIA FAN BASE GROWG AS HIS PROFILE CREASED THE DAYS LEADG UP TO THE OLYMPICS. NEVER SHY ABOUT FLNTG HIS PHYSIQUE, HE HAS ED INSTAGRAM TO POST SHIRTLS PICS, ALONG WH THOSE FEATURG HIM POSG WH U.S. TEAMMAT.TWTER, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS PROVID A FOM FOR THE SKATER TO SHOW OFF HIS SHARP SENSE OF HUMOR, WHETHER 'S PLAYFUL BANTER WH THE LIK OF REE WHERSPOON OR POKG FUN AT HIMSELF FOR G TEETH WHENERS. HE'S ALSO ED THE PLATFORM TO ADDRS THE HATERS HIS OWN DISTCT WAY. FOLLOWG HIS OLYMPIC BUT, HE WROTE: "TO ALL THOSE WHO TWEET AT ME SAYG THAT THEY 'HOPE I FAIL', I HAVE FAILED MANY TIM MANY TIM MY LIFE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'VE LEARNED OM EVERY SETBACK, PROUDLY OWN UP TO MY MISTAK, GROWN OM DISAPPOTMENTS, AND NOW I'M A GLAMAZON BCH READY FOR THE NWAY." CLASH WH MIKE PENCETHE PUBLIC GOT S FIRST TASTE OF RIPPON'S OUTSPOKENNS MID-JANUARY 2018, WHEN HE WAS ASKED BY USA TODAY TO MENT ON THE SELECTN OF U.S. VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE AS HEAD OF THE 2018 U.S. OLYMPIC LEGATN TO SOUTH KOREA. "YOU MEAN MIKE PENCE, THE SAME MIKE PENCE THAT FUND GAY NVERSN THERAPY? I’M NOT BUYG ," SAID THE SKATER.RIPPON WAS REFERRG TO A PENCE MPAIGN WEBSE OM 2000 WHICH SAID THAT ROURC SHOULD BE "DIRECTED TOWARD THOSE STUTNS WHICH PROVI ASSISTANCE TO THOSE SEEKG TO CHANGE THEIR SEXUAL BEHAVR." THE VP'S OFFICE SISTED THAT THE PASSAGE WAS REFERRG TO THE PRACTICE OF SAFE SEX, AND PENCE SOUGHT TO PLAY DOWN THE NTROVERSY BY TWEETG HIS SUPPORT OF RIPPON. HE ALSO REPORTEDLY ATTEMPTED TO MEET WH THE SKATER, THOUGH HE NIED DOG SO AFTER RIPPON REBUFFED THE OFFER.RIPPON LATER SAID THAT HE DIDN'T WANT HIS "OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE BEG ABOUT MIKE PENCE" AND SAID HE WOULD NSIR MEETG WH THE VP AT ANOTHER TIME. HOWEVER, HE ALSO FANNED THE POLIL FLAM BY SAYG HE WOULDN'T JO THE RT OF THE U.S. TEAM FOR S TRADNAL VIS THE WHE HOE TO MEET PRINT DONALD TMP AT THE NCLN OF THE {--DATA-EMBED-DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;CLEAR:BOTH;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;WIDTH:100%;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}} A SPAN{RIGHT:1REM;} IMG{WIDTH:TO;HEIGHT:85VH;} A{DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;POSN:VAR(--POSN, RELATIVE);} IMG:NOT(.EWCW41W1){DISPLAY:BLOCK;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;-WEBK-ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;-MS-FLEX-EM-ALIGN:FLEX-START;ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;}{WIDTH:100%;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}{BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;MARG:0.9375REM 0 0 0.625REM;PADDG:0 0 0 1.25REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:0.9375REM 0;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} LI{PADDG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} LI::MARKER{LOR:#323232;}NAME: ADAM RIPPONBIRTH YEAR: 1989BIRTH DATE: NOVEMBER 11, 1989BIRTH STATE: PENNSYLVANIABIRTH CY: SCRANTONGENR: MALEBT KNOWN FOR: FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS WH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2018 PYEONGCHANG GAM.ASTROLOGIL SIGN: SRPINTERTG FACTSADAM RIPPON UNRWENT EAR SURGERY BEFORE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY TO RRECT HEARG PROBLEMS.IN 2018, ADAM RIPPON BEME THE OLST FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN TO REPRENT THE U.S. FIGURE SKATG SCE 1936.FACT CHECK

Figure skater Adam Rippon beme the first openly gay Amerin man to qualify for the Wter Olympics wh his selectn to the U.S. team for the 2018 PyeongChang Gam. * rippon gay athlete *

In 2018, Rippon beme the first openly gay Amerin man to qualify for the Wter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal and emerged as a fan LifeRippon was born on November 11, 1989, Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The olst of six children, Rippon was raised the blue-llar town of Clarks Summ, an environment not always welg to a boy g to grips wh his homosexualy.

RIPPON'S BODY IMAGE MENTS HIGHLIGHT HIDN STGGLE AMONG GAY MEN

Rippon spoke up about a pervasive problem both the world of male figure skatg and the gay male muny: eatg disorrs. * rippon gay athlete *

Olympic men's figure skatg team January 2018, Adam Rippon, who revealed his sexualy the October 2015 issue of Skatg, beme the first openly gay Amerin athlete to qualify for the Wter was not the only acknowledged gay athlete at the PyeongChang Gam; he was joed on the U. Addnally, skatg analyst Johnny Weir was mored to be gay durg his days as an active petor, though he remaed tight-lipped on the subject unr the spotlight of the 2006 and 2010 Gam.

Team for s tradnal vis the Whe Hoe to meet Print Donald Tmp at the ncln of the FACTSName: Adam RipponBirth Year: 1989Birth date: November 11, 1989Birth State: PennsylvaniaBirth Cy: ScrantonGenr: MaleBt Known For: Figure skater Adam Rippon beme the first openly gay Amerin man to qualify for the Wter Olympics wh his selectn to the U. The newly mted Olympic bronze medalist has talked about the importance of LGBTQ reprentatn at the Wter Gam, and he has publicly sparred wh Vice Print Mike Pence over Pence’s alleged support of so-lled gay nversn week, Rippon spoke up about another issue, one that has reportedly been an open secret the world of male figure skatg and a pervasive problem the gay male muny: eatg skater Adam Rippon speaks durg a prs nference on Febary 13, 2018 Pyeongchang, South Graythen / Getty ImagIn an terview wh The New York Tim, Rippon, who is openly gay, spoke about body issu the world of sports and the prsure he felt to be th orr to appeal to the judg.

”While Rippon, who is openly gay, spoke specifilly about body issu the world of sports, his ments highlighted the often overlooked subject of eatg disorrs and body-image issu men, particularly gay men.

OPENLY GAY FIGURE SKATER MAK U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM AND HISTORY

Adam Rippon was ‘Ameri’s Sweetheart’ the 2018 Wter Olympics. The gay athlete has bee a hero. * rippon gay athlete *

The anizatn also found gay men stggle disproportnately wh body image issu and eatg disorrs: Though they are thought to make up jt 5 percent of the natnal male populatn, gay men acunt for 42 percent of men who report havg an eatg disorr. OBJECTIFICATION“What you often fd is gay men report to feelg objectified often the same way that women do, ” Renee Engeln, a profsor of psychology at Northwtern Universy, told NBC News. ”Engeln add that gay men, like other margalized muni, are more likely to suffer om “mory strs, ” the add psychologil burn of social stigma and discrimatn.

”SHAME AND GUILTTroy Rons, a reprentative for NEDA and an openly gay man who has stggled wh body dysmorphia and anorexia, noted that men, both gay and straight, are ls likely to seek help for an eatg disorr.

”“If beg vulnerable is a threat to manhood, beg vulnerable and havg the same issue as women is a double h, ” she and Engeln both speculated, however, that gay men may be more likely than straight men to disclose their stggle wh an eatg disorr.

ADAM RIPPON IS U.S.'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO QUALIFY FOR WTER OLYMPICS

Adam Rippon has qualified for the 2018 Pyeongchang Gam, makg him the first openly gay U.S. athlete to ever qualify for the Wter Olympics. * rippon gay athlete *

This, they said, uld partially expla NEDA's fdgs that gay men acunt for more than 40 percent of men who report havg an eatg said that his se, he ed rtricted eatg to exercise ntrol over his life and to project strength. ”Rippon, who has cheekily labeled himself "Ameri's sweetheart, " has bee a bean of nfince and strength for many gay men, thanks to his Olympic medal-wng performance on the ice and his penchant for snappy jok. Gay Olympic medalist figure skater Adam Rippon displays his ual charm and poise the face of clickba.

Rippon, the openly gay figure skater who won over Ameri at the Wter Olympics, has retired om petn.

Amerin figure skater Adam Rippon has qualified for the 2018 Pyeongchang Gam, makg him the first openly gay U.

ADAM RIPPON ADORG PARENTS & FAY! OPENLY GAY ATHLETE ROMANTIC DATG LIFE

The Uned Stat has never sent an openly gay male athlete to the Wter Olympics. In Pyeongchang this year, Team USA may have two. * rippon gay athlete *

The 28-year-old Olympics rookie will be joed South Korea by fellow Amerin figure skaters Vcent Zhou, 17, and Nathan Chen, may also be, acrdg to rearch nducted by LGBTQ sports se Outsports, "the first publicly out gay man ever selected to a Wter Olympics team om any untry any sport.

"I was recently asked an terview what s like to be a gay athlete sports, " he tweeted. "While an openly gay man has never peted for Team USA the Wter Olympics, a few have peted durg the Summer Gam, but the list is short — very short. Then there was openly gay diver Patrick Jefey, who peted the 1996 Olympic Gam 2016 R Olympics had a rerd of 56 publicly out LGBTQ athlet petg, ne of them Amerin, acrdg to Outsports.

Adam Rippon, a 28-year-old figure skater, will be the first openly gay man to pete for the Uned Stat the Wter Olympics. A third gay athlete, luger John Fennell, had also been vyg for a spot on Team USA, but a sled malfunctn slashed his chance at qualifyg December.

ADAM RIPPON IS ALLOWG AMERI TO LOVE A (REALLY) GAY ATHLETE

Olympian Adam Rippon, the first openly gay athlete to be named to a U.S. Wter Olympic Team, discs old age, Twter jok, and Mike Pence. * rippon gay athlete *

Hasn't sent an openly gay man to the Summer Olympics 14 years — sce equtrians Robert Dover and Guenter Seil peted 2004. "Any article I do now is sort of like, 'Gay Olympian Adam Rippon, '" says Adam Rippon, the 28-year-old figure skater who do, fact, own the distctn of beg the first openly gay athlete ever to make a U.

IS ADAM RIPPON GAY? WHY THE U.S. OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER DECLED TO MEET WH MIKE PENCE

Is Adam Rippon gay? Many are wonrg why he cled a meetg wh the U.S. Vice Print—we’ve got the sop here! * rippon gay athlete *

It wasn't until several weeks after his selectn, though, that the label beme practilly mandatory to clu stori about Rippon, when he sharply cricized the cisn to have stg vice print and noted homophobe Mike Pence lead the Amerin legatn to the openg ceremony Pyeongchang.

"Beg gay has never been a big al to me, which is why 's a ltle funny to be gettg all this attentn about , " he explaed.

WHO IS ADAM RIPPON, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR WTER OLYMPICS?

After Adam Rippon beme the first openly gay U.S. athlete to w a Wter Olympics medal, he's g his platform to take on issu he r about. * rippon gay athlete *

" seem to relish teractg wh people on Twter—particularly wh those who @ you wh some brand of homophobia. I tweeted a while ago about an terview which I was asked what 's like to be a gay athlete, and I said, "It's exactly like beg a straight athlete, except wh better eyebrows. I was a ltle surprised to learn that 2018, the Uned Stat still had yet to have an openly gay Wter Olympian.

THE BTERSWEET BETY OF ADAM RIPPONHOW MUCH AN OUT GAY OLYMPIAN ULD MEAN TO A KID NOW—OR TO A 34-YEAR-OLD WHO’S BEEN WAG FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE.BY RICHARD LAWSONFEBARY 12, 2018BY DEAN MOUHTAROPOULOS/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEI FELL LOVE WH THE OLYMPICS, PARTICULARLY WH FIGURE SKATG, WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. IT WAS 1992, AND OM FARAWAY ALBERTVILLE, FRANCE, I WAS TRODUCED TO KRISTI YAMAGUCHI AND NANCY KERRIGAN, TWO AMERIN ICE PRCS WHO BOTH MEDALED THAT YEAR, PTURG THE HEARTS OF LNS AND BURROWG TO MY NSCNS LIKE PERHAPS NOTHG BUT THE LTLE MERMAID HAD UP TO THAT POT.MY 10-YEAR-OLD SISTER WAS TO TOO, BUT NOT QUE THE SAME ARNT WAY. LUCKILY, I HAD A IEND, A BT IEND, REALLY—I’LL LL HIM RYAN—WHO UNRSTOOD WHAT ALL MEANT TO ME, BEE MEANT AS MUCH TO HIM. WE SPENT WHAT I REMEMBER BEG A WHOLE WTER CIDG WHICH SKATER WAS OUR FAVORE (ONLY THE WOMEN, NEVER THE MEN; EVEN AT THAT AGE, THERE WAS SOMETHG PERHAPS TOO TRIGUG ABOUT THEM) AND GLIDG AROUND ON HIS HARDWOOD LIVG-ROOM FLOOR OUR SOCKS—PRETENDG TO DO TRIPLE AXELS AND SALCHOWS, AWKWARDLY MIMICKG KERRIGAN’S BEGUILG SPS—TWO SILLY LTLE BOYS WH AN APPRECIATN FOR THE GRACEFUL THGS THIS ROUGH WORLD.BY THE TIME THE LILLEHAMMER GAM 1994 ARRIVED (HOW SPOILED WE WERE TO HAVE THEM ONLY TWO YEARS APART!), WH ALL THEIR TONYA HARDG DRAMA, RYAN AND I HAD DRIFTED APART, AS IS THE NATURAL DOWNWARD ARC OF A IENDSHIP WHEN YOU DON’T GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL OR LIVE THE SAME TOWN. OURS, I ALWAYS SUPPOSED, HAD JT BEEN A IENDSHIP OF NVENIENCE, UNTIL WASN’T. WHAT REMAED WAS MY LOVE OF OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATG, AND I WATCHED RAPT EVERY FOUR YEARS. MY HMAN YEAR OF LLEGE, MY NEW IENDS (ALL GIRLS) THOUGHT I WAS SANE—BUT ALSO MAYBE A LTLE FUN—WHEN I CRIED BTER TEARS AT MICHELLE KWAN’S GEO “FIELDS OF GOLD” EXHIBN SKATE, AFTER SHE’D FISHED A DISAPPOTG THIRD. OVER THE YEARS, OLYMPIC ICE SKATG OFFERED ME AN OUTLET FOR BIG FEELGS, THE WAY OTHER SPORTS MIGHT DO FOR OTHER MEN, I SUPPOSE.ANYWAY, I GOT OLR. TIME PASSED. I ME OUT, HAD A FEW FUMBLG ROMANC WH GUYS, AND I BEGAN MY ADULT LIFE. I WOULD SOMETIM, UALLY AROUND OLYMPICS TIME, WAX MDL TO OTHER IENDS ABOUT RYAN AND OUR SKATG OBSSN THAT WTER LONG AGO. PERHAPS SPURRED ON BY ONE OF THOSE REVERI, A FEW YEARS AGO I TRACKED RYAN DOWN ON FACEBOOK. I SAW THAT HE LIVED LOS ANGEL, AND, LIKE ME, WAS A WRER. AND I SAW THAT, QUE UNLIKE ME, HE WAS VASTATGLY HANDSOME—A LLEGE SOCCER JOCK-TURNED-WEEKEND OUTDOORSMAN, WH THE RIPPLED AME AND CHISELED FEATUR TO MATCH.WH SOME BATN OF CURSY AND JEALONS, I REACHED OUT—TOLD HIM I’D BE TOWN FOR A WORK THG A UPLE MONTHS, AND WOULD HE MAYBE LIKE TO GET A DRK. HE AGREED AND WE MET—EVEN MORE HANDSOME PERSON, BUT STILL THE FOX-FACED BOY I REMEMBER AT EIGHT YEARS OLD—AND OVER THE URSE OF A UPLE OF DRKS, I LEARNED THAT HE IS GAY TOO. I WAS SURPRISED, AND TOLD HIM AS MUCH. HE REPLIED, “SURPRISED? RICHARD, WE ED TO DO FIGURE-SKATG ROUT MY LIVG ROOM.” SO HE REMEMBERED TOO!LAST SUMMER I TOOK SOME IENDS UP TO MY PARENTS’ HOE RHO ISLAND, AND ON THE FIRST NIGHT, MY MOTHER AND I WERE UPSTAIRS, MAKG UP THE FOLD-OUT UCH FOR ONE OF THE GUTS. I N’T REMEMBER HOW WE GOT ON THE TOPIC, BUT SOMEHOW RYAN ME UP. SHE ASKED IF HE WAS MARRIED AND I SAID—AS IF THIS WAS AN ANSWER TO HER QUTN—THAT, NO, HE WAS GAY. MY MOM STOPPED TENDG TO THE BEDSHEETS AND LOOKED UP AT ME. “YOU’RE KIDDG,” SHE SAID. “HE’S GAY? AND TO THK HIS FATHER SAID YOU TWO ULDN’T SEE EACH OTHER ANYMORE BEE HE THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY.”I WAS SHOCKED, AND ASKED MY MOM A FEW QUTNS ABOUT —WAS THE THKG THAT I, AT EIGHT YEARS OLD, WAS TURNG RYAN GAY? HAD I ASKED WHY I SUDNLY DIDN’T SEE MY BT IEND ANYMORE?—BUT THEN JT KD OF BSHED OFF AND HEAD BACK TO THE WEEKEND WH MY IENDS, TO A LIFE WHERE I TRY TO NOT ET TOO MUCH OVER STUFF THAT DID OR DIDN’T HAPPEN A QUARTER CENTURY AGO. BUT OVER TIME, THAT LTLE SUAL REVEAL—THAT RYAN AND I HAD NOT NATURALLY DRIFTED APART, AS I’D LONG THOUGHT—BEGAN TO WEAR AT ME. IN THE MONTHS SCE, ’S MA ME SO SAD FOR LTLE ME AND LTLE HIM—GAY BOYS WHO WERE UNAWARE OF THE MECHANISMS LOOMG OVER THEM, WHO DID NOT KNOW THEY’D BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT, HAD BEEN NSIRED FOR THEIR DIFFERENCE ALREADY.I THOUGHT OF RYAN ON SUNDAY NIGHT, WHEN FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON MA HIS GRAND OLYMPIC BUT—OLD, AT 28 (UGH), FOR A FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN, BUT SO MANY OTHER WAYS BRAND NEW. HE’S THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN ATHLETE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS (OUT GAY SKIER G KENWORTHY PETED HIS FIRST OLYMPICS WHILE STILL THE CLOSET), AND HAS BEEN PLAYFULLY UNABASHED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, ON AND OFF THE ICE. I’D BEEN AWARE OF RIPPON, PERHAPS PAFULLY SO, FOR A UPLE OF YEARS, BUT HAD NOT REALLY GRAPPLED WH WHAT HE MIGHT MEAN UNTIL HIS SKATE THE TEAM EVENT ON SUNDAY, A TWTER-TRENDG RIGHTEO MOMENT THAT FELT LIKE A HIGH ACHIEVEMENT BEFORE THE SR EVEN ME . (THE AMERINS EVENTUALLY EARNED A BRONZE MEDAL.)PERHAPS THE TIMG WAS JT RIGHT FOR RIPPON, WH AMERI MIRED DISPIRG POLIL DISASTER AND ROILG SOCIAL ANIM. PRR TO THE GAM, RIPPON VOICED DISAPPROVAL OF VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE—WHO WOULD BE ATTENDG THE OPENG CEREMONI AND PLANNED TO MEET WH THE U.S. TEAM—TURNG RIPPON TO SOMETHG OF A POLIL HERO. (OF URSE, RIPPON ENJOYS A CERTA LEVEL OF PROTECTN THAT POLILLY OUTSPOKEN ATHLET OF LOR, LIKE COL KAEPERNICK, DO NOT.) AND THEN HE WENT AND DID HIS ROUTE, A SOFT-SPOKEN, ELEGANT PROGRAM SET TO COLDPLAY MIC (YUP!), MORE FLUID AND LITE AND, Y, EFFEMATE, THAN THE BOY SKATERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. HERE WAS A MAN BEG HIMSELF, AT THE PEAK OF HIS ABILI, ON AN TERNATNAL STAGE, HAILED AS A HERO. AND EVERYONE KNEW HE WAS GAY!EVERYONE KNEW JOHNNY WEIR WAS GAY BACK 2006 AND 2010, WHEN HIS LOUD STUM AND QUEENY SOUCIANCE WERE THE FOC OF MUCH OLYMPIC CHATTER. BUT HE DIDN’T SAY UNTIL LATER; THERE WAS ALWAYS A GUARDNS ABOUT HIM, A TEASE. WEIR WAS A MENTATOR LAST NIGHT DURG RIPPON’S SKATE, AND I THOUGHT I HEARD A LTLE TCH HIS VOICE, SOME NOTE OF REGRET. MAYBE THAT WAS ME PROJECTG, BUT I’D HAVE TO IMAGE THAT SOMEONE LIKE RIPPON—SO SIAR EXCEPT ONE CCIAL WAY—MIGHT GIVE WEIR PSE, MAKE HIM THK ABOUT HIS OWN OLYMPIC PAST, AND WONR WHAT IF.MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLI SPECT THAT RIPPON HAS THAT EFFECT ON LOTS OF PEOPLE—THAT MIX OF EXCEMENT AND MELANCHOLY. HE CERTALY DO ON ME. HAVE I MENTNED YET THAT ADAM RIPPON IS GEO? LIKE, CHISELED BY AN ANCIENT (AND FELY GAY) GREEK SCULPTOR WH A LOVG HAND, MMERIZGLY SYMMETRIL WH EY THAT GLOW LIKE JEWELS. HE’S ABSURD, REALLY. IT HURTS TO LOOK AT ADAM RIPPON, BUT THE DOULR EXQUISE WAY, THE GOOD KD OF HURT—THE KD THAT ACH TO BE WH HIM, THAT ACH TO BE HIM.THAT’S A FEELG PERHAPS UNIQUELY PARTICULAR TO THE GAY EXPERIENCE, THE MUDDIED NFN OVER WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE SOMEONE’S PANN OR IF YOU WANT TO STEP SI THEIR SK, TO HAB THE WORLD AS THEY DO. WATCHG RIPPON HAVE HIS TRIUMPHANT MOMENT ON SUNDAY NIGHT—AND GIVE A FUNNY, ANK TERVIEW AFTERWARD—I FELT THE KD OF YEARNG FOR A CELEBRY THAT I HAVEN’T FELT SCE I WAS 17, HALF MY LIFE AGO. HOW STRANGE TO EXPERIENCE THAT WHILE WATCHG SPORTS, AN AREA OF CULTURE I’M UALLY PRETTY ALIENATED OM UNLS ’S OLYMPICS TIME. SURE THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF SWIMMERS AND GYMNASTS AND WHOMEVER ELSE TO LT AFTER OLYMPICS PAST, BUT RIPPON IS SOMETHG ELSE—A SASSY BEAN OF HOPE, A GAY ANGEL SENT TO LIGHT AND, SURE, SADN A LTLE WH ALL HIS DISTANT BETY AND POISE.I FELT THIS AS A 34-YEAR-OLD, AND THEN REALIZED HOW MUCH MORE ACUTELY THE ADAM RIPPON OF ALL MT SWEETLY STG FOR A WI-EYED KID. THE EFFIVE REACTN TO RIPPON SHOWS HOW VERY IMPORTANT REPRENTATN N BE, JT AS BLACK PANTHER WILL WHEN ARRIV MOVIE THEATERS THIS WEEK. IT MATTERS TO A CHILD—AND TO AN ADULT—TO, Y, SEE SOME REFLECTN OF THEMSELV. BUT ALSO TO HAVE THE FARAWAY HERO, THE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE IALS. MAYBE THOSE UNREACHABLE GODS SOMEHOW HELP CLARIFY THGS HERE ON EARTH.IF I, AT EIGHT, OR 10, OR 14 (OH GOD, 14), HAD SEEN ADAM RIPPON ALL HIS SWANNG, PROUD SPLENDOR, AND EVERYONE APPLDG HIM FOR , WOULD HAVE STROYED ME—BUT ALSO REMA ME. IT WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHG TO ME THAT I RARELY EVER HEARD SAID. HOW MUCH TIME YOUNG QUEER PEOPLE SPEND YEARNG FOR THAT KD OF NNECTN, FOREVER SIFTG THROUGH CULTURE TO FD THE GAY STUFF. WHEN YOU FD , N SPEAK TO YOU ALMOST HOLY TON. ON SUNDAY NIGHT, THERE WAS GAY STUFF, AND SWISHY GAY STUFF TO BOOT, RIGHT THERE ON NATNAL TV, FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED : POWERFUL AND ACPLISHED AND BETIFUL.WATCHG RIPPON’S PROGRAM, AND ALL THE SUBSEQUENT FERVOR, I LET MYSELF DRIFT BACK TO MY SOCKED-FOOT SKATG DAYS. I WONRED IF RYAN WATCHED THE BROADST, AND WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT . I ENTERTAED A BTERSWEET FANTASY, WISHG THAT WE WERE KIDS NOW, WATCHG RIPPON’S BIG SKATE TOGETHER, MAYBE NOT AWARE OF WHAT EXACTLY WE WERE SEEG, BUT POSSSED OF THAT TERNAL KNOWG, THAT REGNN OF SAME, THAT TO RM SO MUCH OF GAY LIFE. THE NEW SADNS THAT BLOOMED ME LAST SUMMER, WHEN I LEARNED THE TE HISTORY OF ME AND RYAN, WAS POUND, BUT A STRANGE WAY ALSO HEALED, ON SUNDAY NIGHT. HOW OFTEN, WAYS PETTY AND PROFOUND, THE WORLD TRI TO TAMP DOWN WHAT ADAM RIPPON SO WONDROLY, NFINTLY EXUD ON THAT ICE. AND HOW TERRIFIC THAT SO MANY KIDS MAY HAVE SEEN AND LOVED AND THEN GONE SKATG AROUND THEIR OWN LIVG ROOMS, MAYBE FEELG A LTLE EER THAN BEFORE.MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLTHE BT SIGHTS AT THE 2018 OLYMPICS OPENG CEREMONY1 / 18CHEVRONCHEVRONBY QUN ROONEY/GETTY IMAG.RICHARD LAWSON

* rippon gay athlete *

About a year after Rsia’s "gay propaganda" law was enacted, reporters were askg athlet about at a media summ before the 2014 Sochi Gam. Figure Skatg wanted to do a ver story for their magaze wh Ashley and me, and I said that I wanted to talk about beg gay—to very sually brg up the article.

I've told both of them separately that if they ever need anythg, they n always e to next athlet who e out won't be "gay Olympians. I don't know, but I do feel that Print Obama's cisn to have gay former Olympic gold medalists lead the Sochi legatn 2014 was a really poignant choice.

USA TODAY: GAY OLYMPIC ATHLETE TURNS DOWN PENCE MEETG

US Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon turned down a meetg wh Vice Print Mike Pence after cricizg him for his stance on gay rights, USA Today reported Wednday. * rippon gay athlete *

In spe of g out as gay few years ago, Amerin figure skater and self-proclaimed 'Ameri's sweetheart' Adam Rippon had not been able to fd the man he would be patible wh—until Pennsylvania native won the Ameri's and world's heart when he won the bronze medal 2018 Wter Olympics and also appeared and won the 26th season of Dancg Wh The Stars (DWTS) 2018. Dancg Wh The Stars: Adam Rippon and his partner Jenna Johnson w the DWTS season 26 (published 21 March 2018) Adam is the first openly gay medalist for the US Wter Olympics and also the first openly gay wner of Rippon's Parents Coaxed Him Into SkatgBorn on 11 November 1989 Scranton, Pennsylvania as the elst of six children of Rick and Kelly Rippon, Adam had a hearg disabily om his birth. Another Athlete: Jeremy Bloom & Adventuro Girliend Might Jt Get Married; Here's WhyAlready acctomed to twirlg, Adam and his choreographer partner Jenna Johnson twirled their way to victory DWTS 2018, th beg the first openly gay wner of the show.

Fally Found Perfect Boyiend, Can't Wa To Take Thgs To Next LevelEven after he me out as gay 2015, there was no news of his boyiend.

This time, marketg partments rporate Ameri are scramblg to figure out how to nnect themselv to the gay kid.

GAY ATHLET MAKE HISTORY AT WTER OLYMPICS

Rippon unapologetilly embrac his role as the first openly gay Olympic athlete, offerg hope and empowerment to LGBT people this perd of social nservatism. * rippon gay athlete *

Wrappg a TV show around a big, black drag queen was ghettoized to “gay TV”; Now ’s ratgs gold. The most gltery, gay athlete at the Wter Olympics is, after jt a few days, our natnal hero. It’s so important for gay youth to see someone like Rippon beg his thentic gay self.

The kicker is all of this is the importance to that gay youth of seeg the reactn to him. It’s no secret that the champn figure skater is openly gay; he’s been very vol about beg the first openly gay Amerin Olympic figure skater. Throughout his entire skatg reer, many people have probably been wonrg whether or not Adam Rippon is gay, so ’s no surprise that he fally revealed his sexualy durg a 2015 terview wh Skatg the time, took a great al of urage for the then-26-year-old figure skater to e out on such a public fom, pecially sce there was no set precent for LGBTQ+ Olympic athlet.

Although many athlet had already e out years after petg the Olympics, there has never been any openly gay athlet on the current Olympic roster—at least not on the Amerin Is Adam Rippon Datg?

ADAM RIPPON GETS EMOTNAL WATCHG A STRANGER COMFORT GAY ATHLETE ON HIDN-CAMERA SHOW

Figure skater Adam Rippon, who won a bronze medal Pyeongchang, is jt one of the openly gay athlet who's makg history at the Wter Gam. * rippon gay athlete *

“I didn’t realize that he was cute until One Directn broke up, but now that Harry Styl is livg that solo, sgg reer, I’m to , ” he Jamie Squire/Getty ImagHe’s an Inspiratn to LGBTQ Athlet Everywhere Sce he me out a few years ago, Adam Rippon has advertently managed to bee an spiratnal in for many future aspirg LGBTQ+ athlet who wish to someday pete an Olympic arena whout beg negatively ’s pretty much sglehandly opened up the floodgat for future athlet to be judged solely based on their skill levels, experience, and disciple—rather than their fact, Adam Rippon hop for a day when his peers will no longer be referred to as “gay Olympians, ” but simply as “Olympians.

ADAM RIPPON MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO W AT THE WTER OLYMPICS

Rippon won a bronze medal at the 2018 Wter Olympics and was one of the first openly gay men to pete on Team USA" emprop="scriptn * rippon gay athlete *

The Trouble wh Mike Pence As an openly gay Amerin athlete, Adam Rippon has explicly stated that given the current admistratn’s stance on homosexualy—particularly viewpots that have been exprsed by Vice Print, Mike Pence—he’d refe any vatn to vis the Whe Hoe. Unrstandably, Adam Rippon don’t feel scerely weled by this current admistratn and any recent attempts ma om their si to rencile the suatn before the mencement of the Olympic Gam this Friday seem a ltle of the major pots of ntentn between Adam Rippon and Mike Pence is the latter’s unabashed suggtn that the Uned Stat implement gay nversn therapy.

GET TO KNOW ADAM RIPPON — THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO EVER QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS

Adam Rippon beme a hoehold name overnight as he prepared for and peted the 2018 Wter Olympics Pyeongchang. He left not only as a bronze medalist, but also as the first openly gay man to qualify and w a medal for Team USA at the Wter Olympics. * rippon gay athlete *

On top of that, Pence (who’s a vout Catholic and claims that his ias about homosexualy stem directly om his relig beliefs) also seems to ndone the current Print’s past treatment of women, which Adam Rippon fds very ntradictory and disncertg relatn to his own beliefs and the way he was visg the Whe Hoe, Adam Rippon had this to say durg an terview wh BBC: “I don’t thk somebody like me would be wele there. "He's also the first openly gay man to ever pete for the Uned Stat the Wter Olympics. "Rippon will likely cross paths wh athlet reprentg Moroc, Togo, Kenya, Errea, Domi, Uzbekistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Sgapore, untri where beg gay is illegal, punishable by imprisonment or even ath.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* RIPPON GAY ATHLETE

Adam Rippon Adorg Parents & Fay! Openly Gay Athlete Romantic Datg Life .

TOP