Team USA’s Adam Rippon may have skated in his last competition of the 2018 Winter Games, but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of him on NBC’s broadcast.
American figure skater Adam Rippon ended his run in the 2018 Winter Olympics on Friday, finishing 10th in the men’s free skate. He’s not done with the Olympics yet, though: Adam Rippon will be staying on as a correspondent through the remainder of the Pyeongchang Games.
NBC spokesman Greg Hughes told USA TODAY Sports about the network’s latest talent move on Sunday. The deal with Rippon is said to include social media and television.
Though he didn’t medal in the free skate, and wasn’t expected to, Rippon earned a bronze medal in the figure skating team event. The bronze medal was the perfect accessory to an inspired Olympics debut for the charismatic 28-year-old who won over America (and the world) with his dedication to skating and the way he always speaks his mind, especially across social media.
NBC already has a gold-medal lineup of former figure skaters in its broadcast booth, from veteran medalist Scott Hamilton to Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir. With so much attention focused on the Olympics, NBC has really upped its broadcasts by hiring former Olympians to provide expert insight into the events. Even Bode Miller and Apolo Ohno have gotten in on the action.
Though he didn’t score an individual figure skating medal, Rippon was already a winner after receiving tweets of support from celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain and, most recently, Britney Spears:
I could feel you on the ice with me @britneyspears. I now have an OVERWHELMING desire to post Instagram fashion shows, google stock imagines of corn, and paint on the balcony of my dorm in the Olympic village. Thank you for not being in denial, LOVE YOU ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/CfeyGNecM3
— Adam Rippon (@AdamRippon) February 18, 2018
With the pairs’ and men’s figure skating competitions complete, skating fans still have ice dance and the women’s competition to look forward to in the final week of the Olympics.
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While it’s not immediately clear where Rippon will make his broadcasting debut, the one thing we know for certain is that it is bound to be one of the most fun commentaries these 2018 Olympics have seen yet.