After making quite a splash at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, especially in his interviews, figure skater Adam Rippon was offered a gig as a correspondent for NBC. But, he's decided to turn down the offer, and we know why. It turns out that his decision has a lot to do with the athlete's love for Team USA.
I am flattered that NBC wanted me to work as a correspondent for them here in PyeongChang. Doing this would require me to leave Team USA and move out of the Olympic Village. I don't want to do that so I had to decline the opportunity.
Adam Rippon took to his Twitter page to talk about his choice not to join NBC as a correspondent during the Olympics, at least this time around, because it would mean that he'd be out as an official member of Team USA, and would have to end his time at the Olympic Village early. And, while it might seem like he's turned down an amazing opportunity to work with one of the biggest broadcast networks in the country, it's actually not that difficult to understand why Rippon would want to finish his time in PyeongChang as an official Olympian.
Adam Rippon, 28 and the oldest American rookie singles skater since 1936, spent over a decade as a teenager and young adult training and trying to make it to the Olympics without much luck. Now, not only has he finally made his long time dream come true, but he's taking home a bronze medal for the Team Mixed skating event. One can see how he'd want to savor his time as an athlete in PyeongChang, instead of cutting that time short to work for NBC.
In a quick follow up to the above Twitter post, Adam Rippon also mentioned that he loves being on Team USA and feels that he wouldn't be able to be there in the same way for the rest of the team if he were suddenly to become a correspondent.
I love being on Team USA and representing our country. My teammates were there for me during my events, and now I NEED to be there for them. I look forward to being with them, and I'm very excited for the rest of the competition. Go Team USA!!!
Adam Rippon is likely correct in his assumption that he wouldn't be able to celebrate or commiserate with the rest of Team USA in the same way if he were to leave the team to work as a correspondent for NBC. It's got to be a thrilling feeling to be a part of something as big as the Olympics with a team of dedicated athletes who know what kind of sacrifices and dreams you've had for your career, and Rippon would be thrust into a whole new world if he were to leave that behind during the games.
Adam Rippon is done competing, but with his popularity at the games continuing to grow, we can likely expect to see him through the closing ceremonies on Sunday, February 25. You can watch the 2018 Winter Olympics on NBC and its various channels. For more on what else you can watch in the coming weeks, check out our midseason premiere guide.
