does johnny weir speak russian
First published on August 9, 2013 / 3:30 PM. Born in 1984 in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Johnny Weir was 11 years old when he first learned to skate. [187] Weir accomplished three clean triple jumps, but he popped his planned second triple Axel and struggled completing the final jump of his triple-triple combination jump. [130][132][133], Weir began the 20072008 season with "a clean slate" and was "all business". He worked with choreographers Faye Kitariev and Viktor Petukhov to compose a Russian rock opera based upon Svetlana Pikous' song, "Yunona I Avos. He received two injections an hour before performing his short program. Don't misunderstand this wasn't Vin . His next elements were a circular step sequence and a triple flip "that was lacking in crispness". Figure Skating sent him to the Olympics because of the documentary and series' popularity rather than on the strength of his skating performances. ", 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. Figure Skating, the governing body of the sport in the U.S., throughout his skating career. He is a US Olympian. [173] Its promotional commercial aired during the U.S. Nationals; Weir later expressed his opinion that U.S. 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. 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 believed that his style was "a hybrid of Russian and American skating",[227] which was brought out by hiring coaches from those countries and often caused conflicts with 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. ", The White House this week canceled a planned meeting between Mr. Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin over a number of issues, chief among them Russia's decision to grant Edward Snowden temporarily asylum; in a statement, the White House also pointed to a lack of progress in engaging Russia on "human rights and civil society in the last twelve months.". [170], In June 2009, Weir's documentary Pop Star on Ice premiered during the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco and aired at film festivals around the U.S.[171][172] In January 2010, it premiered in Manhattan and aired on the Sundance Channel, which funded its filming and production. "On the ice we are all the same," she said. 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. You can't fault Johnny Weir for looking shocked on live national television Monday night. . [62] He again did not include any quadruple jumps, choosing instead to emphasize his artistry, spins, and pirouettes. 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 . Please keep u/HomoCoffiens in your thoughts. Ryan Bradley was in third place after the short program, with 73.58 points. Weir retired from competitive figure skating in 2013. [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. [92] U.S. After Valieva's performance Tuesday, the broadcasting duo were curt in their analyses of her skate. [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. 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. [140][141] He came in first place in the free skate, with 151.98 points and "a nearly perfect"[142] performance. 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 earned a score of 207.99 points overall. 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. The 20032004 season was "the turning point" for Weir and trained with Tatiana Tarasova; he won his first national title at age 19. As an NBC analyst and correspondent, Weir is estimated to earn $500,000 annually. Weir popped both his Lutz and loop jumps, but successfully performed his triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and four other triple jumps. "I can kiss him when I get to my hotel," said Weir. [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. [241], Weir served as Lipinski's "bridesman" at her 2017 wedding to sports producer Todd Kapostasy. 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. All of these things, but they can't really be applied to a. 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[123], At Worlds, Weir came in eighth place, his worst finish at Worlds in four years. [116][117], Weir was in second place after the short program at Cup of Russia, less than two points behind Joubert. )[130][131] They came up with the idea for the routine, which was choreographed by Petukhov, on the plane trip back from the Worlds championships. 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. (Watch the video below.) Skating last, his program was "elegant yet loaded with solid jumps",[48] including eight triple jumps and two combination jumps: a triple Axel-triple toe and his triple Lutz-triple toe. [124], Weir was not able to successfully defend his title, coming in third overall; Lysacek came in first place, and Bradley came in second place. [198], Although Weir was eligible to compete at the 2010 Worlds Championships, he withdrew due to a lack of training. [203] The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination (GLAAD) launched a protest against the tour, claiming that it was "a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation",[203] but Smucker's, the tour's biggest sponsor, said that GLAAD's information was inaccurate, and that Stars on Ice did not have enough room for Weir. [112] The costume he wore for his short program, skated to "King of Chess" by Silent Nick,[113] was described as "a black-and-white chess-themed costume that was restrained by his standards". [149] Despite protests from Weir's fans and the media, including charges of homophobia, the results stood. The drama surrounding Kamila Valieva exposes a sport that has lost its way. [122] According to Weir, both the press and U.S. Sundance also commissioned and aired, beginning in January 2010, an eight-episode documentary series, Be Good Johnny Weir, which depicted the "recent ups and downs of his career". 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 . [72], Weir continued to train with Hill and Tarasov for the 20052006 season, when he was ranked seventh-best in the world. Weir fell on his opening triple Axel in his short program, but successfully completed a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, four more triple jumps, and high-quality spins. 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". [175] In his free skate, he "started off strong"[181] with a triple flip jump and a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, but lost stamina. [155], Weir started off the 20082009 season, when he was ranked seventh-best in the world, struggling with skate boot problems; his blades were not aligned properly on the new skates he purchased over the summer and did not have the time to break in replacements. [136] He designed his own costumes and worked closely with his choreographers again. "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. 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. [186][188] Weir, along with first-place finisher Jeremy Abbott and Lysacek, who came in second place, were sent to the 2010 Winter Olympics; they were considered the strongest U.S. Olympic men's team since the 1980s. He later won three U.S. 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. 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 . [42], U.S. He was born to John and Patti Weir's house. [75][78] He successfully landed four triple jumps, including his opening triple Axel and a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, as well as a flying sit spin, circular step sequence, another triple flip, and his concluding spin combination; the spectators gave him a standing ovation when he finished. [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". 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. 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. [19], The 20032004 season was "the turning point" for Weir;[40] Mittan called it "an amazing comeback". He also completed three level-four spins and good footwork. [146][149] Weir followed up his quadruple toe with a triple Axel-triple toe combination, a triple Lutz, and a triple Axel. [122][123] Lysacek's score of 78.99 points was a slim lead of less than one point over Weir's 78.14 points. He considered pulling out of the competition, but Tarsova gave him the motivation to continue despite the severe pain he was experiencing. Brian Montopoli is the national reporter and political analyst for CBSNews.com. Their connection only came after both had retired from the sport and partnered on the small screen in. "Because that's what I'm trained to do and that's what I've devoted my life to.". He missed two triples in his free skate but placed third in the short program with 206.79 points, fourth in the free skate with 75.15 points, and earned a total of 131.64 points. Lysacek and Weir both scored the same on their triple Lutz-triple toe loop combinations, 11.60 points, although Weir lost points on a two-footed landing on his triple flip. 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. [34] Weir was in second place after the short program, with a clean skate with all eight required elements. [162][161][25] Four days later, he was the only American to perform in a charity skating show in Seoul, performing with South Korean champion Yuna Kim; while there, he was hospitalized with the flu and lost eight pounds in one day. [36] He fell and injured his back, but the referee allowed him to continue where he stopped. A troubled personal relationship also affected his performances. [173] He began the season with "something to prove";[175] despite his previous season's difficulties, he was ranked eighth in the world. He became eligible to compete in the Junior Grand Prix during the 19992000 season and won the 2001 Junior World Championship. Johnny Weir is also a successful professional skater. He earned 231.78 points overall,[142] and "significantly beat"[143] his personal best scores. Figure Skating Hall of Fame", "ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2012 Men Short Program Results", "ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2009 Men Results", "ISU Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix Final Men Results", "XXI Olympic Winter Games 2010 Men Results", "ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Men Results", "ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2008 Men Results", "ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2006/2007: Skate Canada Men Results", "ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2007 Men Result", "Skate Canada International Men Result", "2006 State Farm U.S. To the Olympics because of the sport and partnered on the small screen.. Documentary and series ' popularity rather than on the strength of his skating performances John and Patti &. He withdrew due to a lack of training can kiss him when I get to hotel., Weir came in eighth place, his worst finish at Worlds in four years and footwork. To compete in the 1994 Olympics I get does johnny weir speak russian my hotel, said! 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Despite the severe pain he was 11-years-old does johnny weir speak russian after seeing Russian phenom Oksana Baiul gold...