Olympics

The Pope is gonna be stoked ... 'cause he just got some serious props from the guy who won "Dancing with the Stars!"

Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon -- the first openly gay U.S. athlete to medal in the Winter Olympics -- says he heard about Pope Francis telling a gay man that his sexuality "does not matter" and thinks it's "so awesome!"

Backstory ... Pope Francis had spent some time back in April with a man who was sexually abused by a priest. When the topic of his sexuality came up, the Pope reportedly said, "God made you like this. God loves you like this."

He added, "The Pope loves you like this and you should love yourself and not worry about what people say."

Usain Bolt decided to go BIG for his restaurant opening in Jamaica this week ... bringing in a big ass statue of himself -- made mostly of real bolts.

Turns out, the Olympic legend is a budding restaurant mogul -- he just opened his 3rd Tracks & Records eatery in Jamaica ... and he's got 15 more spots opening up in the U.K.

So, to celebrate the grand opening of his Montego Bay joint Wednesday night, he threw a massive party ... with the grand unveiling of the famous "Bolt of Bolts" statue.

The artist -- German musician Vita Diedel Kloever -- created the piece back in 2012 ... and said it took FOUR MONTHS to put together.

He installed it at the restaurant late last month.

Michigan State has agreed to pay $500 MILLION to the 332 female athletes who were sexually assaulted by former MSU doctor Larry Nassar.

Nassar is the disgraced piece of human garbage who pled guilty to sexually assaulting hundreds of women and girls under the guise of performing routine medical treatments.

Nassar treated hundreds of women at MSU -- including athletes from the softball, gymnastics, track and field, volleyball and rowing teams. Several of the women sued the university.

Now, Michigan State and lawyers for the victims announced they reached the $500 million settlement.

Kelly Slater invited some huge stars over to his cutting-edge surf park in Lemoore, CA -- where Shaun White murdered a wave session ... and it's all on video.

Slater's wave park has become famous -- it's located 100 miles from the ocean ... and creates an artificial wave that surfers can ride for up to 500 yards. It's insane.

Enter White ... who's not just a snowboarding star but also a damn good surfer -- and he grabbed his board and shredded the gnar like a pro!

Tony Hawk and Eddie Vedder were also at the wave park ... though we haven't been able to find footage of them surfing yet -- but we're assuming it went well.

Slater discussed the park on HBO's 'Real Sports' -- which noted that Slater's machine took 10 years to develop and could change the sport forever.

Pretty cool stuff.

Olympic snowboarding legend Shaun White got all romantic with his girlfriend, Sarah Barthel, over the weekend ... taking a stroll on a beach in Los Angeles.

White and Barthel have been together for about 5 years after meeting behind the scenes of "Saturday Night Live."

35-year-old Barthel is a rocker -- she's one half of the band Phantogram, which is about to kick off a cross-country tour of the United States.

She also looks damn good in a bikini.

Fun Fact: After the two met at 'SNL,' White let Barthel and her bandmate stay at his L.A. home while he was training for the Olympics ... and that's when things heated up.

So you're saying there's a chance!!!

Usain Bolt tells TMZ Sports ... the "door is open" to unretire and compete in the 2020 Olympics -- but right now he doesn't have the urge.

"I don't think so," Bolt said when asked about a return to the track ... "But when I see competition I definitely feel like I want to."

"I don't have the urge right now. Maybe when it comes around to the Olympics you never know ... but right now I don't."

Instead, Bolt says he's dead serious about pursuing a soccer career ... with real hopes of joining a pro team -- possibly in the MLS.

In the meantime, Bolt is also challenging less physically athletic people to a video game war through the Xbox Game Pass Challenge ... and he's talking smack!!!

Shaquem Griffin is gonna become a millionaire overnight when he gets selected at the NFL Draft ... and his confidence is so high, he's even making a play at his dream woman ... Chanice Chase!!

You know Shaquem -- he's the 1-handed linebacker who blew away all the doubters when he crushed it at the NFL Combine.

Now, he's already locked up a sponsor (J.C. Penny), says he's excited to take on Tom Brady and REALLY wants a shot with Chase!

FYI, Chanice Chase is an Olympic sprinter from Canada who competed in the 400m hurdles at the 2016 Games in Rio.

She's also MAD HOT!!!!!!

Best of luck to Shaquem in all he pursues ... and Chanice, if you're seeing this -- HIT HIM UP!!

Lindsey Vonn says women competing against men in sports like skiing is a matter of WHEN, not if ... and it would've happened already if people weren't so opposed to change.

Lindsey -- arguably the GOAT female skier -- has been pushing to race with the bros for years ... but the International Ski Federation still hasn't signed off.

The Olympic gold medalist admits it may not happen during her career ... but says she's hopeful the old heads will eventually get it right.

"No one likes change, you know?" Vonn told TMZ Sports. "It’ll eventually happen -- it’s just, how long will it take?"

Don't worry -- we didn't forget to ask Lindsey about her, shall we say, unique dress at the ACM Awards ... and you could tell she ain't sweatin' the haters even a little.

Ever jump clear over YOUR OWN GIRLFRIEND for fun?

Guessing the answer is, "hell no" -- unless you're Simone Biles' BF, Stacey Ervin Jr.

Here's Stacey -- a former Team USA gymnast -- and Simone having an average day at the office ... seeing if Ervin can box jump the entire height of his boo -- who he's been IG official with since last summer.

Dude clears it with ease -- but says Biles was "only a little impressed." (WHAT!)

Yeah, she's only 4'9'' ... but that's some damn impressive ups.

Usain Bolt says he ain't ruling out the MLS for his budding pro soccer career -- IF their squads show him the money!!

FYI, Bolt's been seriously pursuing footy since he retired from the track last year. Most recently, he was out tearin' up the pitch with Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund ... and Manchester United is his dream team.

But when we got the World's Fastest Man at LAX, we had to ask if MLS teams like the L.A. Galaxy even had a shot.

Bolt's response -- "Bring the big contracts!"

Guessing MLS can't offer Premier League money ... but there are other perks that come with playing in L.A. (right, Zlatan Ibrahimovic?).

Cam Newton did a really cool thing in Atlanta on Thursday ... rolling through a DICK'S Sporting Goods store to help a bunch of Special Olympics athletes crush a $200 shopping spree!!!

We're told there were 17 athletes at the store -- all local kids (from the same area where Cam grew up) ranging in age from 5 to 18.

Each athlete got $200 to spend in the store ($3,400 in total) -- from shoes to training gear or jerseys -- and Cam made sure each kid got the best stuff!

In fact, when one of the athletes (a Golden State Warriors fan) was having trouble deciding between a Steph Curry jersey and a Kevin Durant jersey ... Cam helped the guy make up his mind.

Wanna guess which one he chose?

Usain Bolt's smokin' hot GF has broken out a Victoria's Secret-esque wardrobe for Carnival in Jamaica, begging a very important question ...

WHY IS USAIN GRINDIN' UP ON OTHER WOMEN?!

Don't worry -- doesn't seem like Kasi Bennett's trippin' on Bolt breakin' it down others ... remember that legendary hall pass she allegedly gave him during the Olympics?

But if we were The World's Fastest Man, we'd get down to wherever the hell Kasi is ASAP -- 'cause ain't nothin' gonna top what we see here.

Interesting side note ... Bennett tagged Bolt in one of her pics -- in a, let's say, "unique" location -- but is she doing that 'cause he's there, or 'cause she wants his attention?

Whatever -- you got ours, Kasi.

Here's a video that makes us wonder if Usain Bolt's "pass" from his GF is still valid ... the Jamaican sprinter is grinding up on one of the hottest women on earth.

The lady's name is Zahra Elise, and she has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram because of her incredible, natural gifts and the fact that she's a "Wild 'N Out" girl/video model.

Bolt and Zahra are apparently cool, because there's video of the two grinding on each other down in the Caribbean recently with a caption on it that reads "Missed you too." (She posted it).

Of course, we know Bolt has a longtime GF, Kasi Bennett, but we also know that she doesn't seem to mind UB gettin' his dagger game (dancing) on with the ladies in the club ... THE GRIND PASS.

BTW ... we reached out to Zahra -- she says they're just friends, anyway ... and you're just about to look at the gallery of her below.

Former NFL running back Isaiah Pead ain't gonna let a life-changing accident rob him of his athletic dreams ... telling TMZ Sports he's now on a quest for Paralympic gold!!

We spoke to Isaiah 16 months after he lost most of his left leg in a car crash ... and he told us he's planning on hittin' the track in hopes of crushing the 2020, 2024 and 2028 Summer Paralympics.

"If they let me on the track, I'm goin' for the gold, period."

Pead says he's still in the early stages -- getting a prosthesis and sponsorship -- but he's confident everything will come together.

If and when it does, the ex-Rams and Dolphins RB says he's gunnin' for the podium in the 400 -- an event he dominated back when he was a high school sprinter.

As for his long-term goals -- "3 gold medals, 3 Paralympics. God willing, that's a hell of a career right there."

Lindsey Vonn is super EX-cited Tiger Woods doesn't suck at his job anymore ... telling TMZ Sports she's really happy her old boyfriend's showing signs of his old dominance.

ICYMI -- Tiger has been CRUSHING it on the links recently. He's had 2 top-5 finishes in the last 2 PGA Tournaments -- his best finishes in over 4 years.

Former NBA stud Chase Budinger says ballin' for Team USA is his ultimate career goal -- even though he's done with pro hoops!

Here's the deal ... last year, 29-year-old Budinger hung it up and moved back to volleyball, the other sport he used to dominate. (Fun fact: he was the #1 men's volleyball player back in high school.)

Chase tells TMZ Sports he and 2-time Olympian Sean Rosenthal are gearin' up for their 1st season as a beach v-ball team ... and he's hoping they can go all the way in the 2020 Games once they crush a couple summers on the sand.

We wouldn't doubt him -- remember, this is the guy who channeled Billy Hoyle and JUMPED OVER DIDDY at the 2012 Slam Dunk Contest!