- . [61] He also won Trophee Bompard[25] with a score of 208.10 points, despite coming in second in the free skate, behind French skater and European champion Brian Joubert, who came in second place overall. [114], Weir started off the season by helping the U.S. men's team come in first place at the Campbell's Skating Challenge. "On the ice we are all the same," she said. [121] As Weir said, "I couldn't outskate the negativity following me into the competition". You can't fault Johnny Weir for looking shocked on live national television Monday night. On 30th December of the year 2011, he exchanged vows with his partner Victor Voronov, who is of Russian Jewish descent. 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. [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". "And if Russia wants to uphold the Olympic spirit, then every judgment should be made on the track, or in the swimming pool, or on the balance beam, and people's sexual orientation shouldn't have anything to do with it. He was ready to quit figure skating before the 20092010 season, but ended up qualifying for the 2010 Winter Olympics by winning bronze at the 2010 U.S. Nationals. He is of Norwegian ethnicity and holds American citizenship. 1:07. The two excoriated the Russian officials around her while offering a glimmer of sympathy for the 15-year-old, whose numerous mistakes dropped her from . Controversial Russian star Kamila Valieva's turn in the Winter Olympics' women's figure skating short program Tuesday was greeted on American TV with the sounds of silence. National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall Of Fame Inductee, 2013, Weir did not compete in the 201011 and 201112 season, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 10:18. Russia has seen an outbreak of violence against gay rights advocates, with LGBT supporters facing beatings from anti-gay protesters. [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". [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]. 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. [204][215] He came in sixth place in the free skate, earning 132.39 points; he earned 201.42 points overall. [232] Weir's commentating style was met with fixed responses from figure skating fans and skaters. [221] The Associated Press conjectured that it likely marked the end of Weir's amateur figure skating career. After Valieva's performance Tuesday, the broadcasting duo were curt in their analyses of her skate. . [25], In the 20022003 season, which figure skating reporter Lou Parees called "disastrous" for Weir,[4] he skated in one international competition, the Finlandia Trophy and withdrew from the Cup of Russia. [13][21], Weir competed in both singles and pair skating during his first year of competition; Hill paired him with Jodi Rudden to help him focus on other aspects of figure skating, such as spins, stroking, and artistry, rather than on jumping. [102] He accomplished eight out of his planned 13 jumps, replaced a planned quadruple toe loop with a double Axel, and was shaky on his first triple Axel. [25][27], Weir won the Junior Eastern Sectionals in 1999 and 2000. Weir was the only American male in medal contention after his short program in Turin,[97][100] skating "well but not brilliantly". Top editors give you the stories you want . Well, I can't wait to see what Weir and Lipinski say about Lipnitskaia once the women's individual competition starts. [97][102] Reporter Gwen Knapp stated, however, this his artistry was best in the field. Valieva is a phenom who already led the Russians to gold in the team figure skating event and is favored to win the individual competition this week. Weir trains at the Ice Palace in Hackensack, N.J., where he is a figure of awe for aspiring Olympic skaters; 14-year-old Selin Kang said she was upset that one of her role models could face discrimination for being himself. 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." [34], Philanthropist Helen McLoraine, who had helped support Weir and other skaters financially for many years, fell leaving the rink after a skating session in Dallas and died, something that added to his sense of "personal failure andpainful loss". Weir retired from competitive figure skating in 2013. Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) February 17, 2022 Johnny and Tara similarly didn't speak when Kamila got the top score in her short program on Tuesday. One of his performances included a combined skating routine, "Fallen Angels", skated to Handel's "Sarabande", with ice dance team Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. "I'm as normal as anybody as I know. He came in second place in the short program by less than one point behind Lysacek, and came in second place overall, with 225.20 points. NBC has correctly used LeDuc's pronouns on social media. . Skating last, he put a hand down on his opening triple Axel, popped his second triple Axel, and fell out of his triple salchow. "[134] For his free skating program, he worked with Yoav Goren of the pop group Globus, who helped him create a routine to the group's song, "Love is War". [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. His technical score, 79.67 points, was over six points higher than the bronze medalist, Daisuke Takahashi from Japan, but his program component score, 77.10 points, was 7.4 points lower than Takahashi's. "I can kiss him when I get to my hotel," said Weir. "I strongly disagree with this decision," Lipinski told NBC's Mike Tirico. Weir successfully completed his jumps, but did not attempt a quadruple jump and according to the Associated Press, "generally seemed a bit slow". He was in fourth place after the short program, earning 69.03 points. [51] He came in fifth place; teammate Michael Weiss came in sixth. He earned marks ranging from 5.4 to 5.7 in his technical scores, and 5.6 to 5.8 in his artistic scores, doubling one jump and stepping out of a triple Axel. He successfully completed his triple Axel-triple Axel combination at the start of his program and attempted a quadruple toe jump, but he two-footed it and fell on his triple flip at the end of the program, taking him out of medal contention. Weir moved up to the junior level during the 19981999 season. Johnny Weir's instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/johnnygweir/ Weir, along with Goebel and Lysacek, were chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2005 Worlds Championships. [46] Weir's short program was not the most difficult, but he had "a clean and elegant skate"[48] with a triple Lutz-triple toe combination, a triple Axel, and a triple flip, all landed successfully. They have been firm in their stance that she. [200] The Christian Science Monitor reported that the audience was confused over Weir's scores in the free skate and disagreed with them. 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. Weir's friend and fellow skater Sasha Cohen helped him contact Tarasova, who waived her fees for him. Weir,. [241], Weir served as Lipinski's "bridesman" at her 2017 wedding to sports producer Todd Kapostasy. He told reporters that he felt homesick and nervous moving to a large city and living on his own for the first time in his life, resorting to sleeping with a kitchen knife next to his bed. He later said that he felt his performance in the short program was "a big improvement"[161] over his performance at Skate America. [174], After the previous season, Weir became depressed and was ready to quit figure skating before the 20092010 season, but his mother talked him into continuing to compete and try to make the U.S. team for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. [46] He came in first place, the first to do so by qualifying at sectionals since Rudy Galindo in 1996. [4] He often designed his own costumes or worked extensively with his designers and later was known for his fashion choices as a broadcaster. Skating icons Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir condemned the move to allow the 15-year-old to compete. [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. Johnny Weir is a Chinese commentator for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Ukrainian posters active on this sub. Weir was unprepared for Nationals because he was "compromised"[166] by his illness. He had a shaky landing on his triple flip, but his circular and straight-line footwork sequences were well-done, and he performed three level four spins. [72], Weir continued to train with Hill and Tarasov for the 20052006 season, when he was ranked seventh-best in the world. - , . 10 . [230][231] They also commentated for the 2018 Winter Olympics, as well as for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Apparently fluent in Russian, Weir translated what was being said among Russian. 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 designed the costumes they wore for their free dance that season. Nationals. Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir didn't hold back expressing their opinions on the figure skating controversy. [175] Weir came in third place, with a total of 237.35 points. Weir skated in the final ISU-sanctioned competition of the season, the 2004 Marshall's World Figure Skating Challenge. [219] He also did not compete at the 2013 U.S. Nationals, but still hoped to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2014. The Russian figure skater came into these Games being lauded as one of the greatest of all time. Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski were uncharacteristically quiet during Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's performance Tuesday morning after the announcers expressed outrage and. Weir and Lipinski both used them . Weir arrived late to the stadium for his free skate, blaming it on missing the bus from the athletes' village and not being told of a schedule change, which put him 90 minutes off his routine. Sections. [95] Weir's coach and mother admitted that Weir felt nervous about competing at the Olympics, and was uneasy about competing against Plushenko,[96] but he was called "the breakthrough personality of the Games". He used music from "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, someone he admired, for his short program; she provided him with versions of the song without lyrics. [153] He did not include a triple-triple combination, and his quadruple jump was downgraded to a double. He has come out as openly gay. Weir later told reporters that he was disappointed in his spins, but his footwork sequences were "spectacular", and he scored 80.55 points. In October 2013, Weir retired from competition and joined NBC as a figure skating analyst at the Sochi Olympics. [19][23] Also in his first year of skating (1997), Weir finished fourth as a juvenile in the Junior Olympics and won first place in the South Atlantic Regionals, also as a juvenile. [119][120] Weir later said that he was embarrassed by his withdrawal, done after "trash-talking"[121] Lysacek for also withdrawing due to an injury. [242] As of 2021, Weir lives in Greenville, Delaware in a home that was featured on MTV Cribs. With the help of Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva and Alexandra Trusova, he was able to communicate in Russian. The Olympic figure skater and Greenville resident was nearly voted off ABC's "Dancing with the Stars . The last time he made headlines was in 2016, when he reportedly "blamed Weir for ruining [his] relationship" with ice dancer Joti . [149] Despite protests from Weir's fans and the media, including charges of homophobia, the results stood. Weir opened his free skate with a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and included five other triples, but stumbled coming out of his second triple Axel and missed his triple flip late in the program. He and Weir tied for first place, both with a combined score of 244.77 points, but Lysacek was named the U.S. champion because following ISU regulations, he won the free skate (162.72 points to Weir's 161.37 points). Weir's outspokenness caused conflict between him and U.S. We are competing against each other and showing who is the better skater.". Although Weir was born in the US, he became interested in Russia as a result of his passion for figure skating. . [220], Weir did not register for a qualifying event that would have made him eligible for the 2014 U.S. Nationals, ending his bid to compete in Sochi. Learn about Johnny weir's age, height, weight, dating, wife, girlfriend & kids. [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. [97] He earned 136.63 points in his free skate, coming in fifth place overall, for a total of 216.63 points. [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. [146][149] Weir followed up his quadruple toe with a triple Axel-triple toe combination, a triple Lutz, and a triple Axel. Weir continued to train with Hill and with Tarasova in Simsbury for the 20042005 season. [11][12], Weir's father had competed in English saddle events. [101] His final elements were a sit spin, a straight-line step sequence, and a combination spin. The reason for her divorce was due to domestic difficulties. During NBC Sports' coverage of the women's free skate competition at . [67] His performance was solid but subdued; he struggled with the landings of his triple Axel and triple flip jumps. ", There has been growing outrage over Russia's anti-gay laws, with figures includingStephen Fry,Harvey Fierstein and Jay Leno evoking Nazi Germany, which held the 1936 Olympic Games under Hitler's leadership; President Obama told Leno this week that American and other nations would not tolerate gay athletes being singled out by Russia, which he said has "a big stake in making sure the Olympics work. [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. [152] Lysacek withdrew from Worlds due to injury; Abbott replaced him as well. [67][68][70] Although he finished slightly behind Timothy Goebel in his short program, without a quadruple jump and having a less-technical program than Goebel, he was the favorite going into the free skate. [89][90], At the 2006 U.S. Nationals, Weir was the first male skater to win three consecutive U.S. titles since Brian Boitano almost 20 years previously. [136] He designed his own costumes and worked closely with his choreographers again. As a professional sports commentator, he receives a payroll of $38,486 per year. He was born to John and Patti Weir's house. And I live a life of integrity and success and strength. 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. 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. Weir considers Russia to be "the most magnificent place in the world," as he put it in an interview with CBSNews.com. The 32-year-old is a three-time U.S. national champion, two-time Olympian and bronze medalist at the World Figure. 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