Rippon is the third best of the three men on the U.S. team.
They put him on the “team skate” event, which some of the top skaters skipped (or didn’t have a team, like the Spaniard), so that Rippon would have some chance at a medal he could not possibly win on his own. Worked. The team got Bronze, and now the vicious little princess is an “Olympic Medalist”.
He’ll be doing TV commentary at the next Olympics.
I think Johnny Weir's got that gig lined up for life.
and Rippon was placed on the team...the guy who came in second in the nationals was not invited on the team but they put Rippon- who came in fourth in nationals- on the Olympic team...