Weir successfully completed his jumps, but did not attempt a quadruple jump and according to the Associated Press, "generally seemed a bit slow". [107] He also appeared in an episode, in which he called "my entertainment TV debut",[108] of My Life on the D-List with comedian Kathy Griffin, in which he taught Griffin how to skate. If you were able to watch the episode at home, you'd hear Johnny Weir describe the painful scene every step of the way. He fell again during his free skate, and ended up in fifth place, while Evan Lysacek, in their first meeting in competition, came in first, even though Lysacek was in fifth after the short program. Weir, 21, who grew up on a Pennsylvania farm, showed up at practices for these Olympics wearing a CCCP jacket of the former Soviet Union. "In Russia, just the sheer fact that you could be gay, you can get arrested, fined, and it's a terrible thing to even think of," he said. Born in 1984 in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Johnny Weir was 11 years old when he first learned to skate. Johnny became interested in figure skating when he was 11 years old while watching Oksana . [58][59] Weir's trip to Japan marked the first time he came "face-to-face"[60] with Johnny's Angels, a group of figure skating fans who supported Weir emotionally and financially. [242] As of 2021, Weir lives in Greenville, Delaware in a home that was featured on MTV Cribs. [216] He later told reporters that he was nervous, that his legs felt stiff, and that the competition was the hardest thing he had done in his career. In 2001, he won the World Junior Championships. Weir first became interested in figure skating when he was 11-years-old, after seeing Russian phenom Oksana Baiul take gold in the 1994 Olympics. He also had boot problems to overcome, but felt that he had done well. I am with you," he said into our camera, "I wish. 1 NBC Skating Broadcast Team", "How Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski Became the Most Iconic Duo in Figure Skating", "The Internet Still Can't Make up Its Mind about Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir", "How to Watch the Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday", "Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir Cover Winter Olympics in Stamford", "Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir Are Ready to Rule the Winter Olympics Again", "How Billy Bush Got Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir an Oscars Gig", "Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski are Doing Red Carpet for a Dog Show Because 'We Love Dogs! The press, especially in the U.S., made much out of the rivalry between Weir and his fellow competitor and rival, Evan Lysacek. Weir also two-footed the landing on his triple flip, which was supposed to be part of a combination jump but was not because he eliminated a double-toe loop. He was in first place after the short program, again overcoming his nerves and earning a personal best score of 83.28, almost six points ahead of Weiss, who came in fourth place overall. [175], Despite a cold he caught on the flight to Nagano, Weir came in second place in Japan. [218] A few days later, he announced that he would withdraw from Trophe Bompard due to a hip injury, putting his comeback attempt on hold. Figure Skating named all three medalists eligible to compete at 2007 Worlds and 2007 Four Continents Championships; Weir chose not to compete at Four Continents, so fourth-place finisher Jeremy Abbott went in his place. [72] He finished in fourth place, behind "surprise bronze medalist"[72] and teammate Evan Lysacek. Johnny Weir (no longer an honorary Russian) Adam Rippon. The salary of figure skaters makes $2,000 to $45,000 depending on competitions and where they place. He earned 217.70 points overall; the gold medalist, Brian Joubert from France, earned 15 points more than Weir. This was the spark in Weir's long-standing. [7][94], For the first time in his career, Weir changed his free skating program mid-season shortly before the Olympics, from "a techno medley"[95] written by Croatian pianist Maksim Mrvica to "Otoal" by Argentine pianist Ral Di Blasio, which Weir used the previous season. Japanese skater Takahiko Kozuka won the gold medal at the event; Lysacek came in third place overall. [180][182] He successfully accomplished all his triple Axels in both programs. Johnny Weir Condemns the Olympics Decision to Let Kamila Valieva Continue skate Weir has links with Russian coaches, and he's also fluent in Russian. His first ballet teacher in Delaware Yuri Sergeev was a dancer for the St. Theres a Russian bus and an American bus Weir said matter-of-factly. ', "Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski are Bringing 7 Suitcases to the Kentucky Derby", "Here's What Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir Wore to Kentucky Derby 2018", "Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir Join NBC's Super Bowl Team", "Johnny Weir is a Eurovision Superfan and It's Paying Off", "Inside Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir's Rise From Olympic Figure Skaters to Beloved Commentators", "MTV 'Cribs' Featuring Greenville Home of Olympic Figure Skater Johnny Weir Airs Wednesday Night", "Johnny Weir Tells Us What He Wants in a Dream Home, and It's So Not What We Expected", "Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski & Tanith Belbin to Join NBC Olympics in Sochi", "Johnny Weir on Rachel Zoe and Reality TV, His Music, Memoir and Yesterday's All That Skate Show", "Chicago Cubs Celebrate Induction into Inaugural Class of National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame Tonight", "Johnny Weir, Sandy Schwomeyer Lamb, Gale Tanger make U.S. [101] Weir began his short program with "a smooth triple Axel"[101] followed by the highest-scoring element in his program, a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. "It doesn't matter if you are gay or straight. [167][165] In the short program, Abbott finished in first place with 86.40 points, Lysacek was second with 83.59 points, and Weir came in seventh place with 70.76 points. He did not include a quadruple jump but completed a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination and had higher-scoring spins than Lysacek. Don't misunderstand this wasn't Vin . The Olympic charter bars political gestures during the Games, which means that an athlete could theoretically be sanctioned for speaking out against the anti-gay laws, though it seems unlikely that the International Olympic Committee would take such a step. He later admitted that the pressure of being the defending champion bothered him, and said that it was difficult skating after Lysacek, especially after hearing that Lysacek had earned over 90 points in his element scores alone. [14] His family moved to New Britain, Connecticut, so he could train. He is a two-time Olympian ( 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics ), the 2008 World bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2001 World Junior Champion, and a three-time U.S. National champion (2004 . After completing his free skate, Weir kissed his hand and pounded the ice with it as the audience gave him a standing ovation; he stated, "I was very thankful at that point, and I was thanking the ice in Atlanta for letting me do my best". He finished third at the 2007 U.S. Nationals and replaced his long-time coach Priscilla Hill with Galina Zmievskaya for the 20072008 season. [17][83], In October, Weir finished in fourth place at the 2005 Campbell's Classic; he popped both of his triple Axels and earned 114.65 points. He competed at the 2012 Finlandia Trophy, attempting a quadruple jump in both his short program and free skate for the first time, and coming in fourth place overall. Zmievskaya had a more Russian approach and focused on "drill sergeant-like demands for discipline and rigor".[226]. Title, Earns Olympic Berth", "A Little Nervousness Shows Through Weir's Brash Exterior", "Go Figure the Men Left Their Olympic-Caliber Skating at Home", "There's Plushenko, Then Everyone Else: Weir Skates Well, But Russian Aces Short Program", "Russian's Easy Gold: Plushenko Coasts; Weir Misses the Bus for Fifth Place", "Lambiel Stripes Gold, Joubert Choses Red Pill", "Figure Skating Updated: Evan Lysacek Wins Bronze Medal at 2006 World Figure Skating Championships", "She Stands and Delivers Sweet but Saucy Spiel", "Sebestyen, Joubert Lead at Cup of Russia", "Joubert Soars to Men's Skating Title as an Injury Sidelines Weir", "Johnny Weir Withdraws from Grand Prix Final Due to Injury", "2007 US Figure Skating Championships: Men's Highlights", "Bradley Breaks through for Second Place", "Americans Stumble at World Figure Skating Championships", "ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2007: Men: Free Skating Result Details", "ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2007: Men Result", "Interview with Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov", "Benefit Ice Show to Feature Area Figure Skaters", "U.S. . He successfully completed a triple Axel, a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, and a triple flip, earning 76.28 points, a little over 2.5 points behind Daisuke Takahashi from Japan, who came in first place after the short program. A post shared by JOHNNY WEIR (@johnnygweir) The original story, first published on February 3, 2022, continues below. He called his performance koshmar (the Russian word for "nightmare"). [121], Shortly before Nationals, former figure skater and analyst Mark Lund, who was openly gay, speculated about Weir's sexuality on television; Weir chalked it up to jealousy. He had received "very serious threats"[192] from anti-fur activists for wearing fox fur trim on the left shoulder of his free skate costume during U.S. Nationals. On top of his ability to speak English, he can also speak French. His technical scores ranged from 5.3 to 5.7 and his presentation scores were as high as 5.8.[53]. A Quebec gay rights group considered filing a complaint; the commentators later apologized on-air. At first, they received a great deal of resistance from U.S. Figure Skating sent him to the Olympics because of the documentary and series' popularity rather than on the strength of his skating performances. [68] Weir had "the heavy burden of defending a title for the first time",[69] but he was able to control his nerves and win his second Nationals title in a row and the first repeat U.S. Nationals championship since Michael Weiss in 1999 and 2000. [190][191] He stayed at the Olympic Village in Vancouver, despite wanting to stay at a hotel, for security reasons. "I can speak Russian," he says, "I can speak French. [241], Weir served as Lipinski's "bridesman" at her 2017 wedding to sports producer Todd Kapostasy. [203], Weir took the next two seasons off from competitive skating, focusing on his personal life, figure skating shows, a singing career, and celebrity events. They noted a jumping pass and stayed mum . [76][84][85] At Skate Canada also in October, Weir was in second place after the short program, but finished in seventh place, after falling on his first jump and spraining his left ankle during the free skate. [192][194] He also held a press conference to respond to "offensive" remarks made by two Canadian sports commentators about him. [173] Its promotional commercial aired during the U.S. Nationals; Weir later expressed his opinion that U.S. He also popped an Axel and turned it into a single jump, but completed three more triple jumps, high-quality circular and straight-line footwork sequences, and good spins. "This is a slap in the face to the Olympic. He was not able to complete two doubles at the end of his combination jumps, despite accomplishing three previous triples. Asked what message he would send to the Russian authorities who passed the anti-gay laws, Weir said he wanted them to look at the life he leads. With the help of Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva and Alexandra Trusova, he was able to communicate in Russian. "Because that's what I'm trained to do and that's what I've devoted my life to.". [34] Weir was in second place after the short program, with a clean skate with all eight required elements. His next elements were a circular step sequence and a triple flip "that was lacking in crispness". [104] Plushenko chose not to compete after the Olympics, so Worlds was open for Weir, Lysacek, Lambiel, and Buttle to win the gold medal. In the free skate, he successfully accomplished all his jumps at the beginning of the program, but performed a double Lutz instead of a triple, and his triple flip turned into a single. Johnny Weir has used dating apps. Weir and Lipinski both used them . [37], The only Grand Prix competition U.S. Learn about Johnny weir's age, height, weight, dating, wife, girlfriend & kids. Weir was born on July 2, 1984, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, the eldest son of John Weir, a nuclear power plant engineer, and Patti Weir (ne Moore), a nuclear power plant worker and home inspector. He struggled completing a combination spin during his short program and told reporters that he had difficulty with his spins and that he almost tripped during his step sequence. I know what Halston is. [69] His free skate, which again did not include a quadruple jump but represented a "full range of perfectly executed triple jumps",[68] earned him five 6.0s in presentation. Champ Johnny Weir Doesn't Mind If He Upsets a Few Federation Officials; the 19-Year-Old Simply Wants to Have a Good Time", "Johnny Weir Collects a Perfect 6.0 and Claims Gold", "Weir Improves His Prospects by Adding Quads", "2004 US Figure Skating Championships: Highlights", "U.S. The Russian figure skater came into these Games being lauded as one of the greatest of all time. The normally loquacious NBC commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir barely said a word during the drug-scandalized 15-year-old's performance. Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski have honestly done a tremendous job in covering figure skating this week, in the wake of Valieva's positive drug test. NBC commentator Johnny Weir called it . His two Grand Prix wins made him eligible to compete at the Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy, where he came in fourth place. Weir had Russian coaches most of his career, is fluent in Russian, and has spent time training there . "The Olympics are about how well you're able to perform in front of a huge audience, and it's not about whether you're gay or straight or who you're friends with or anything that's not related to the sport.". Johnny Weir Says He Cried After Commentating On Drug-Scandalized Russian Skater The Kamila Valieva doping controversy is "such a terrible situation to watch unfold," the broadcaster said. Tarasova had been pushing to create a short program for Weir with Saint-Sans' music since the two began working together, believing that his "naturally quiet and delicate way on the ice mirrored the mellow cello piece". [101] His final elements were a sit spin, a straight-line step sequence, and a combination spin. If two-time Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir wins one of two spots to represent the United States at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, he may have more to worry about then just trying to win a medal. Weir is a collector of Russian Cheburashka memorabilia. [140][141] He came in first place in the free skate, with 151.98 points and "a nearly perfect"[142] performance. Be Good Johnny Weir continued where Pop Star on Ice ended, following Weir as he attempted to earn a place on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team. In his profile, he says he's a sports commentator at NBC and his. Tuesday, however, when Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva performed after failing a pre-Olympics drug test, they were uncharacteristically quiet. Weir,. What is Johnny Weir doing at the Olympics? Figure Skating: Three New Faces Set for Turin; Weir Wins Title, Olympic Vets Fail in Long Program", "Weir Wins Third Straight U.S. [19][42][43] He moved from his longtime rink, the more prestigious one at the University of Delaware, to a nearby rink called The Pond, which was less crowded and not as well-known. His primary source of income is his career as a figure skater and sports commentator. Weir made the decision to quit equestrian, since he could not do both and his family could not afford both sports, and they moved again, to Delaware, so Weir could train with Hill. . [76] He was told by judges at the beginning of the season, after debuting his short program, which was designed for the new scoring system, that it was not difficult enough, so he had to rework it. Figure Skating withdrew their support of him; sportswriter Barry Mittan stated that they "essentially gave up on Weir". Weir retired from competitive figure skating in 2013. [48] He also won the free skate, even though he did not include a quadruple jump. [17] Weir went into Nationals hoping to become the first American male since Boitano to win his fourth U.S. championships in a row. He added that his presence in Sochi could help rally opposition to the anti-gay legislation and the treatment of LGBT Russians. [105] Weir toured again with Champions on Ice in-between seasons, his longest tour with them to date; he chose Frank Sinatra's "My Way", "for its obvious symbolism", as his performance number. And if I'm illegal, you should be illegal as well.". [136] He also changed his choreographer and training routine, and moved out of his family home in Newark, Delaware to an apartment in New Jersey in order to train with Zmievskaya. (See above.) The 29-year-old former Olympian has wowed NBC viewers with his eye-catching ensembles while working as a commentator in Sochi alongside fellow former skater and close friend Tara Lipinski. Valieva left the ice, and Weir, who speaks Russian, interpreted that her coach was offering her critical tips as she . He also competed at Cup of Russia a few weeks later in November, even though it was unlikely that he would make it to the Grand Prix final. He came in third place in the free skate after Lysacek and Savoie with 142.06 points and a total of 225.34 points. He now fears that he may never be allowed back in the country to see friends and relatives, and to compete at the Sochi games in six months if he makes the U.S. team. Weir began his short program with three successful jumping passes. Please keep u/HomoCoffiens in your thoughts. [181][183], At the Grand Prix final, all six qualifiers, including Weir, had skated in at least one previous final; Golden Skate called it "one of the most equally matched fields in several years". He also received 5.8s and 5.9s in his technical score. [35] He felt confident going into the free skate, but hit the rink wall 23 seconds after he started, catching his blade between the ice and wall while doing a "simple crossover". Both two-footed their quadruple jump (Weir attempted a quadruple toe), both had similar entrances into their jumps, and both completed seven triples. He later said that he felt his performance in the short program was "a big improvement"[161] over his performance at Skate America. In his free skate, he earned 152.75 points, a new personal best score. Russia has seen an outbreak of violence against gay rights advocates, with LGBT supporters facing beatings from anti-gay protesters. [228][229] They hosted the closing ceremonies in Pyeongchang, as well as for the 2020 Summer Olympics and for the 2022 Winter Olympics. [53] Weir, however, came back from seventh place after the short program[53] by completing eight "elegant triples"[53] in his long program, like he had done at U.S. Nationals. He earned 146.20 points in the free skate and 220.25 points overall, beating his runner-up Timothy Goebel by over 20 points. This is a big jump from 2014 when Weir entered the world of broadcasting. Johnny Weir is possibly single. Figure Skating. [68], At Worlds, Weir continued to struggle with his foot injury, which had given him problems all season and which prevented him from working on adding a quadruple jump to his season's free skate. Ryan Bradley was in third place after the short program, with 73.58 points. [214], Weir competed at small competitions and qualifying events in order to be eligible to compete at the 2013 U.S. Nationals. [153] Weir won his first worlds medal, a bronze, with a total score of 221.84 points, and secured three slots for the American men in the 2009 Worlds championship. Figure Skating Names International Teams", "2004 Marshall's World Figure Skating Challenge: Highlights", "Plushenko, Slutskaya Take the Lead at Cup of Russia", "ISU World Standings for Figure Skating and Ice Dancing: Men", "Skating: U.S. Champion Earns NHK Trophy", "Chinese Join Weir and Rochette with Paris Wins", "Plushenko, Slutskaya Shine at Cup of Russia", "Weir Attempts an Encore with His Flashy Show on Ice", "Kwan Ties Record for National Skating Championships", "2005 World Figure Skating Championships: Men's Highlights", "Weir It's At Johnny Would be OK with Silver", "Weir: Event is about Rediscovering Comfort Zone", "Weir's Title Fits Like Glove after Short Program", "Cohen Leaves Her Foes Little More Than Sweet Sorrow", "Sasha Cohen impressive at Campbell's Classic", "Sports Briefing: Plushenko Shines in Cup of Russia", "With Aching Hip, Kwan Still Wins Hearts", "Baltimore Wants to Keep Tejada Around: Figure skating", "Figure Skating: Weir on top after short program; Olympic bronze medalist Goebel sits in 5th after pair of gaffes", "U.S. Figure Skating, due to his performances during the season and at the 2006 Olympics, and despite his past successes, began to actively support Lysacek over him. In his "elegant"[4] short program, Weir completed a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, but fell on his last jump, a triple flip, scoring 71.25 points. [102][103], At the World Championships, Weir "did not fare so well". He considered pulling out of the competition, but Tarsova gave him the motivation to continue despite the severe pain he was experiencing. Nationals. [165] Despite his loss, Weir was chosen as favorite skater of the year by the readers of U.S. Born on 2nd July 1984, Johnny Weir's hometown is in Pennsylvania, USA. He qualified to compete at the Grand Prix final, where he won the bronze medal. [48] He was also the youngest male skater, at the age of 19, to win the U.S. Nationals since Todd Eldredge won in 1991, also at the age of 19. [111] He began working with ice dancer Marina Anissina, who choreographed both his short program and free skate. U.S. Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 10:18, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination (GLAAD), Skating technique and influence of Johnny Weir, 200910 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, "Johnny Weir - Age, Skating & TV Hosting - Biography", "Johnny Weir, Figure Skater, Comes Out as Gay", "Icebreaker and His Obstacles Eccentric Weir Carries Hopes and Fears of Some in U.S. Skating", "Olympic Figure Skater Johnny Weir Takes Break for Fundraiser", "Johnny Weir's Food Network Wedding Cake Baking Show Begins Season 2", "Johnny Weir Confronts Ghosts of Quarryville Childhood on Reality Show", "2000/2001 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Men Standings", "Plus: Figure Skating; U.S. Men Finish First and Second", "ISU World Standing for Figure Skating and Ice Dancing: Men", "Weiss Wins Third U.S. [243] Prior to the purchase, he cited privacy, seclusion, and his need for rest from his busy life, as factors guiding his decision to settle in a more rural area.[244]. Both the IOC and U.S. Olympic Committee have beencriticizedfor not taking a strong stand against the Russian anti-gay laws, though it is not clear that either organization could have done much to change them. [180][181] He skated a clean short program and gave his best performance up to that point in the season, with 78.35 points. Brian Montopoli is the national reporter and political analyst for CBSNews.com. Figure Skating named Weir to the U.S. World Championships team. [221] The Associated Press conjectured that it likely marked the end of Weir's amateur figure skating career. The former Olympic figure skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir condemned the decision to allow the Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva to continue competing in the Beijing Olympics after she tested positive for a banned drug. The 15-year-old Russian figure skater, who on Monday was ruled eligible for the 2022 Olympics women's singles competition after a positive drug test surfaced last week, finished first in the . The reason for her divorce was due to domestic difficulties. [123] U.S. The last time he made headlines was in 2016, when he reportedly "blamed Weir for ruining [his] relationship" with ice dancer Joti . Weir was the only American male in medal contention after his short program in Turin,[97][100] skating "well but not brilliantly". (Weir has stiff competition in his quest; the team will be selected in January.) Gay Olympic hopefulBlake Skjellerupplans to defy anti-gay Russian laws. [82] His performance and swan costume were parodied in the 2007 comedy Blades of Glory, starring Jon Heder and Will Ferrell. Lysacek won the silver medal; it was the first time since Rudy Galindo and Todd Eldredge in 1987 American men came in first and second place. [146] Weir won the short program, with 83.40 points, 1.35 points separating he and Lysacek. They have been firm in their stance that she. Figure Skating, as did many of his costume choices. He was the third alternate at the 2000 Junior Grand Prix final, coming in sixth and second place at his two Junior Grand Prix assignments, but won, at the age of 16, the gold medal at the World Junior Championships. Goebel finished in second place and Lysacek came in third place. [3][19], By the time he was 12, Weir was performing single Axels, which he learned after a week of lessons; by the time he turned 13, he learned all the single and double jumps, as well as his first triple jump, the salchow. February 15, 2022, 11:35 AM NBC figure skating commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, both former Olympians in the sport, did not shy away from the controversy surrounding Kamila Valieva. [144] He opened his program with a strong triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and underrotated his triple Axel, but successfully completed five more clean triple jumps. [114] He came in fifth place in the free skate, with 121.38 points, over 40 points less than Joubert's free skate score, and came in second place overall, with a total score of 196.28. Feb 17, 2010. He is a Georgetown Law graduate of Russian Jewish descent. He admitted that his Grand Prix season was "disastrous"[121] and that he had not been skating well going into the 2007 U.S. Nationals in Spokane, Washington. [150][149][137], Weir chose not to compete at the Four Continents Championships due to fatigue; he was replaced by Jeremy Abbott, who came in fourth place at U.S. It is not clear whether Russia will prosecute gay Olympic athletes or tourists during the Games; while the International Olympic Committee says it has assurances that they will not be targeted, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says those who engage in what the government considers propaganda will be "held accountable." [25] Weir stated that along with his relative inexperience with competing and a growth spurt, he struggled with nerves during this period, which affected his performances. It was stunning to watch. Volonov has maintained a low profile since his 2014 divorce. Weir's friend Elena Glebova, who will be skating for Estonia at her third Olympics next year, said Weir had been helping her design her outfits for competition.