Johnny Weir
Weir at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships medal ceremony
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Figure skating career
Country	United States
Coach	Galina Zmievskaya, Viktor Petrenko
Skating club	SC of New York
Medal record Representing the  United States Men’s Figure skating World Championships 2008 Gothenburgh Men's singles Grand Prix Final 2009–2010 Tokyo Men's singles 2008–2009 Goyang Men's singles World Junior Championships 2001 Budapest Men's singles

John Garvin "Johnny" Weir ^[1] (born July 2, 1984) is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion (2004–2006), the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion.

As of April 2010^[update] Weir is ranked 12th in the world by the International Skating Union (ISU).^[2] He does not intend to skate competitively in the 2010–11 season.^[3] He is currently a judge on the U.S. reality show Skating with the Stars.^[4]

Personal life

Weir was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, to John and Patti Weir. He has a brother, Brian, who is four years younger.^[5][6] Weir was raised in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, a town in southern Lancaster County.^[7] His family moved to Newark, Delaware, soon after Johnny began skating at the age of 12 so he could be near his training rink and coach.^[8] In the summer of 2007, he moved to Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and began training in nearby Wayne.^[9] Weir was an honor roll student at Newark High School and studied linguistics part-time at the University of Delaware before dropping out to concentrate on his skating.^[8][10] He is a self-proclaimed Russophile who admires the skating style and culture of Russia^[11] and taught himself to speak and read the language. He also speaks some French.^[12]

Weir skated with the Champions on Ice touring ice show every spring from 2004 until 2007, their last season before going out of business.^[13][14] Off the ice, he has appeared in a fashion spread in BlackBook magazine^[15] (including a shot of him in a wrap-around mini skirt),^[16] taught Kathy Griffin how to skate in the season two finale of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,^[17] and modeled in runway shows for the fashion label Heatherette.^[18] In July 2008, the United States Figure Skating Association and Skating Magazine announced Weir as the winner of the 2008 Reader's Choice Award for Skater of the Year, an annual trophy voted upon by skating fans and awarded to the American skater or skating team whose achievements were of the highest merit in the previous season.^[19]

When asked about his sexuality, Weir has stated, "...it's not part of my sport and it's private. I can sleep with whomever I choose and it doesn't affect what I'm doing on the ice."^[20] In his memoir, "Welcome to my World," he came out as gay.^[21]

Weir has two pet chihuahuas named Bon-Bon and Vanya, and is a collector of Russian Cheburashka memorabilia.^[22] He has an interest in fashion design and, in addition to designing some of his own skating costumes, has designed ice dancing costumes for Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov^[23] and show costumes for Oksana Baiul.^[24]

He serves on the Board of Governors of nPlay, a nonprofit organization devoted to fighting childhood obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle for young people.^[25]

He is Roman Catholic and open to other belief systems, including practicing Kabbalah, stating, "I believe in anything good, and anything that can teach love".^[26][27]

During the 2010 Olympics two Canadian broadcasters commented on Weir's flamboyant demeanor, made derogatory comments of his sexuality, and questioned his gender.^[28]

In 2010 a main-belt asteroid, discovered in 1995 by T. V. Kryachko, was officially named after the skater, at the suggestion of his Russian fans.^[29]

Weir appeared in an episode of When I Was 17 on the MTV network, describing his experiences in high school.^[30]

Weir collaborated with Traver Rains to raise money for The Trevor Project in 2010.

Documentary and TV series

Pop Star on Ice, a documentary about Weir and his career by filmmakers James Pellerito and David Barba, was filmed between 2006 and Spring 2008. It premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 24, 2009 and was scheduled to show at film festivals across the United States in the Spring and Summer of 2009 before airing on the Sundance Channel on December 24, 2009.^[31] The filmmakers are also making a multiple-episode TV series entitled Be Good Johnny Weir, that is set to air on the Sundance Channel in early 2010.^[32]

Career

Early career

As a boy, Weir was a successful competitor as an equestrian.^[33] He became interested in figure skating at the age of eleven while watching Oksana Baiul win her 1994 Olympic gold medal. He taught himself how to jump on roller skates in his basement. His parents eventually bought him a pair of used figure skates, and he practiced on a frozen cornfield behind his family home.^[12][34] His parents then purchased group lessons for him at the University of Delaware, where coach Priscilla Hill soon noticed his talent and took him on as a private student.^[35]

Although he began skating at the relatively late age of 12, Weir progressed quickly through the ranks. He performed an Axel jump in his first week on skates.^[35] His parents could not afford to support both his figure skating and his equestrian pursuits, so Weir gave up his pony, My Blue Shadow, and turned his focus completely to figure skating. He competed in pair skating with Jodi Rudden on the juvenile and intermediate levels, but gave it up to concentrate on single skating.^[35]

Weir's first major victory came in 2001 when, at the age of 16, he skated three clean programs at the World Junior Championships and won the gold medal ahead of fellow American Evan Lysacek.^[36] This was the first time since 1987 that the U.S. had placed first and second on the World Junior podium.^[37] Weir also placed sixth that year at the senior U.S. Figure Skating Championships.^[12]

At the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he literally hit the wall during his long program. He restarted the program, but immediately injured his knee on a failed triple axel landing. This time he was too injured to restart, so he withdrew from the competition.^[38] Shortly after this competition, he switched club affiliation from the University of Delaware FSC to the Skating Club of New York, which he still represents.^[39]

2003–2004 season

The 2003–2004 season was the turning point for Weir. He qualified for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships by winning his regional and sectional championships. He received the first 6.0 of his career during his long program at 2004 U.S. Championships, winning the gold over Michael Weiss and Matthew Savoie.^[40] He then competed at the 2004 World Championships and placed fifth.^[12]

2004–2005 season

In the 2004–2005 season Weir won his first two Grand Prix titles. He won the first at the NHK Trophy in Japan and the second at Trophée Eric Bompard in France.^[12] Only two Grand Prix events per season can count toward a skater's point totals under ISU rules,^[41] but Weir also skated at the 2004 Cup of Russia for no official points and took the silver medal behind reigning world champion Evgeni Plushenko.^[42]

At the 2005 US Championships, he earned five 6.0's for presentation with his free skate to Otonal and successfully defended his national title.^[43]

He went on to compete at the 2005 World Championships with a landing foot injury and placed fourth.^[44]

2005–2006 season

The 2005–2006 Olympic season proved difficult for Weir. He came in seventh at Skate Canada International after spraining his ankle on a jump landing at the start of the free skate and struggling through the rest of the program,^[45] and third at Cup of Russia.^[12]

In December 2005 he won the men's competition at the 2005 Marshall's Figure Skating Challenge, in which results were determined live by call-in votes and texts from viewers, in the final round over Michael Weiss with 64% of the vote.^[46]

At the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he won his third consecutive title and, as the national champion, was automatically named to the U.S. Olympics and World teams.^[47]

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Weir skated a personal best short program and was in second place behind Evgeni Plushenko in that segment. However, Weir omitted some of his planned jumps in the free skate, and finished off of the podium in fifth place.^[48]

At the 2006 World Championships, Weir finished seventh, fighting a nagging back injury.^[49]

2006–2007 season

Weir began the 2006–2007 competitive season at Skate Canada International, where he placed third, then went on to Cup of Russia and won the silver medal, his third consecutive medal at that event.^[12] He placed second at the 2006 Marshall's Figure Skating Challenge with his performance to The Swan, an exhibition version of his Olympic program, and Weir's signature piece.^[50]

Weir withdrew from the 2006 Grand Prix Final before the free skate due to a hip injury he sustained in a freak fall during the short program.^[51] At 2007 US Nationals, Weir was in second place after the short program, less than a point behind Evan Lysacek. In the free program, he was unable to complete his triple axel combination, fell on a triple loop and doubled several of his planned combinations. He attempted a quadruple toe loop but it was heavily two-footed on the landing. Weir lost his national title and finished in third place.^[52] At the 2007 World Championships, Weir placed eighth.^[12]

2007–2008 season

After the disappointments of the 2006–2007 season, Weir made the decision to shake up his training regimen by leaving the only coach he had ever had, Priscilla Hill, moving out of his family home and moving on his own to New Jersey to train with Ukrainian coach Galina Zmievskaya.^[53] He subsequently had a great start to his 2007–2008 season at the Cup of China where he skated two clean and strong programs, achieving new personal best scores for both his free skate and overall score and winning the gold medal over fellow American Evan Lysacek.^[54] He then went on to Cup of Russia and took the gold medal there, as well.^[5] The two first place finishes secured him a spot at the Grand Prix Final, where Weir competed with a recurring injury in his landing foot and stumbled in both his short and long programs but still managed to place 4th overall.^[5]

At 2008 U.S. Nationals Weir won the short program over Evan Lysacek by 1.35 points but Lysacek won the long program by exactly the same amount, resulting in a tie. Weir completed a slightly two-footed quadruple toe loop in his long program and scored more points on his jumps and in the program components than Lysacek but Lysacek scored more points for his spins and footwork.^[55] Under ISU rules, in the event of a tie the winner of the long program is awarded the gold medal,^[41] so Weir received the silver.

At the 2008 World Championships the US had failed to medal at all in every other discipline when the men took the ice last. Weir skated a brilliant short program and received a career-best score that put him in second place. In the free program, he skated steadily but tentatively, eliminating the second jump from his first planned combination and doubling a planned triple jump on another combination. However, the program was strong enough for Weir to win his first World medal–a bronze–and kept the US from being shut out of the medals at a World Championship for the first time since 1994.^[56]

During the off-season, Weir performed in the 2008 Festa On Ice alongside Kim Yu-Na.

2008–2009 season

Weir began the 2008–2009 season by winning the silver medal at Skate America in October 2008.^[57] He then went on to the NHK Trophy in late November, where he competed while suffering from a severe cold but still managed to win his second silver medal of the season.^[58] These two finishes qualified him for the 2008 Grand Prix Final, where he won the bronze medal in December 2008.^[59]

During the 2008 Christmas holiday Weir traveled to South Korea to perform in a charity skating show. While there, he contracted a severe stomach virus that landed him in the hospital and caused him to lose eight pounds in a single day. He was unable to regain all of the weight or train at full capacity before the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January 2009, where he singled the planned triple axel in both his short and long programs and also fell on the triple lutz in the long, resulting in a fifth-place finish. It was the first time since 2003 that he had been off the podium at Nationals.^[60] He was subsequently not named to the US World Team.

During the off-season Weir performed in the 2009 Festa On Ice, alongside Kim Yu-Na.

2009–2010 season

In preparation for the 2009–2010 season Weir went to top skating choreographer David Wilson to create his competitive programs. On September 26, 2009, he debuted his short program, which was set to music by Raúl di Blasio, at a benefit to commemorate 9/11.^[61]

In the 2009 Grand Prix season Weir finished a disappointing fourth at 2009 Rostelecom Cup after doubling several of the triple jumps in both his short and long programs, but two weeks later rallied to win silver at the 2009 NHK Trophy, while suffering from a cold and sinus infection.^[62] This qualified Weir for the 2009-2010 Grand Prix Final in Tokyo, Japan, where he won the bronze medal.^[63]

Weir placed 3rd at the 2010 U.S. National Championships in Spokane, Washington. He became the center of an animal rights controversy by wearing fox fur on his skating costume at that event. He received protests from the animal rights groups Friends of Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).^[64][65] When the protests escalated to threats of violence against him, Weir announced he would remove the fur from his costume, although he continued to defend wearing fur as a "personal choice."^[66] Death threats from animal rights activists also forced Weir to alter his housing arrangements for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He had intended to stay in a Vancouver hotel, but for security reasons, chose to stay at the secure Olympic Village, sharing a suite with fellow American figure skater Tanith Belbin.^[67][68]

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Weir finished sixth overall, with a new personal-best combined score of 238.87.^[69]

During the off-season, he performed in Kings On Ice besides Stéphane Lambiel, Brian Joubert and Evgeni Plushenko in Russia. He joined Kim in another ice show, the All That Skate. Other skaters like Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Stéphane Lambiel performed in the show as well.

Coaching changes

From the beginning of his career at age twelve, Weir trained under coach Priscilla Hill. They worked together first at the University of Delaware in Newark and after the 2002/2003 season moved to the Pond Ice Arena, also in Newark. Weir also spent part of each summer between 2003 and 2005 working with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, Connecticut.^[70]

He changed coaches in the summer of 2007 when he moved to the Ice Vault Arena in Wayne, New Jersey and began working with Galina Zmievskaya, who previously coached Weir's idol Oksana Baiul.^[71][72] Zmievskaya's son-in-law and Olympic gold medallist Viktor Petrenko acts as Weir's assistant coach, and her daughter Nina Petrenko is one of his choreographers.^[5]

Skating techniques

Unlike most figure skaters, he is a clockwise spinner and jumper.^[51]

Programs

Competitive highlights

Senior

Junior

• J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

References

External links

• Johnny Weir Official Website
• Johnny Weir at the International Skating Union
• Johnny Weir at U.S. Figure Skating (archived)
• Johnny Weir's fan site (in Russian)
• Michael Collins Enterprises
• Johnny Weir at IMDb

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