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Get to Know Adam Rippon — the First Openly Gay Man to Ever Qualify for the Winter Olympics
Yaasss! Adam Rippon made history on Sunday, Jan. 7, when he became the first openly gay man to ever qualify for the Winter Olympics. The 28-year-old was chosen to join fellow American figure skaters Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, next month. From his hilarious social media posts to his drool-worthy abs, Life & Style rounded up everything you need to know about Mr. Rippon.
Adam Rippon is from Pennsylvania.
Adam hails from Scranton, PA. During a 2016 interview with Penn Live, he opened up about the love he has for his home state. “There's a lot of good skaters that come out of the Pennsylvania area, and it's where I grew up and where I got a lot of my basics and where I learned how to skate,” he gushed. “…I like to come as often as I can, because my family still lives in Pennsylvania. I always like to go to Hershey and to go to [Hershey’s] Chocolate World. A few of my favorite things in Pennsylvania are Tastykake and, from my area specifically, Gertrude Hawk, which is a chocolate company.”
The handsome athlete, who has since relocated to LA, added, “There are a few things I always love to do when I come home and it's all beside the fact that I like to see all my cousins and my brothers and sisters.”
Adam Rippon is ripped.
Adam has a hot bod and he knows it. He often flaunts his chiseled torso on Instagram — and we are most definitely not complaining. He posted a particularly sizzling thirst trap on Wednesday, Jan. 10. In the pic, Adam is seen lounging on the beach, showing off his enviable eight-pack in nothing but a pair of skates and leopard-printed booty shorts.
Adam Rippon’s got jokes.
If you follow Adam on Twitter, you know that he’s funny AF. He recently made us LOL on Dec. 27, with the following tweet: “I was recently asked in an interview what its like to be a gay athlete in sports. I said that it’s exactly like being a straight athlete. Lots of hard work but usually done with better eye brows.”
Adam Rippon is hoping to be a role model.
On Friday, Jan. 5, Adam told NPR why he feels a responsibility to set a good example for LGBTQ youth. “Growing up, I really didn’t have a lot of role models,” he explained. “And I want somebody who’s young, who’s struggling, who’s not sure if it’s OK if they are themselves to know that it’s OK.”
Adam Rippon has a signature move called the “Rippon Lutz.”
Inspired by 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano’s famous one-armed Lutz, Adam decided to give it a go with both arms raised. It has now become his signature move. In case you’re having trouble picturing it, check it out the video below:
