Adam Rippon, the first openly gay U.S. winter Olympian, has become something of a hero for American fans, queer or not. Even before he won a bronze medal for Team USA Monday Rippon established that he would stand up for gay rights. After his performance, he tweeted a message to his detractors:
To all those who tweet at me saying that they “hope I fail”, I have failed many times many times in my life. But more importantly, I’ve learned from every setback, proudly own up to my mistakes, grown from disappointments, and now I’m a glamazon bitch ready for the runway.
— Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 13, 2018
Even before competing in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Rippon made headlines for denouncing Vice President Mike Pence’s record of opposition to LGBT rights. Friday, the 28-year-old Olympian will compete in the men’s single skating event. But what did teenage Rippon think about the Olympics?
In an unearthed 2003 interview with Pennsylvania TV station WNEP-TV, Rippon, then 13 and already having won international figure skating competitions, told reporter Jim Coles exactly where he aimed to be.