The very famous American figure skater Johnny Weir was skeptical about the chances Evgenia Plushenko to win the men's figure skating at the Olympics in Sochi.
“I’m a big fan of Evgeni Plushenko,” Reuters quotes Weir. “He made a huge contribution to the development of figure skating, he revolutionized the sport. I don't want to say that he doesn't great athlete, but the level of young skaters from Canada and Japan is much higher. You can teach an old dog new tricks, but it's very difficult. And who, after winning medals at three Olympics in a row, would want to finish off the podium in the fourth?
http://www.sport-express.ru/olympic14/figureskating/news/662779/
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Stefan's new program:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yY9H3NxE5s&feature=youtu.be
Honored Trainer Galina Zmievskaya,
working with American figure skater Johnny Weir commented on the performance of her student, who returned to amateur sports after two years.
"The reason for Johnny's failure today is not physical fitness. It's just very difficult for him to overcome the psychological barrier after not competing for two years. Johnny trains well, here he did both quadruple jumps and triple axels. But showing this in competitions is still the most difficult thing.
I'm not Jesus Christ, I'd like to know for myself when Johnny will perform at full force. I can’t guess anything yet,” R-Sport quotes Zmievskaya.
Johnny Weir - new dreams and a new family.
Congratulations on your wedding and return to amateur sports. Two years have passed since the Vancouver Olympics.
Everything changed in my life, like in a kaleidoscope, there were a lot of interesting things. I've written a book, released a song, appeared on various television programs and performed in FC shows around the world. But I missed the “serious” feeling I got from competing, training every day, and always trying to do my best. Sometimes when I walked on red carpets or at fashion shows, I had the feeling that “I can do more.” It was all very exciting, but I’m still young, my body is still working, so I thought, “I want to ride.” I want to ride as much as possible. Over the past two years, I ate what I wanted, enjoyed the party life, met new friends, then I got married. It was a fun life, but I grew up. It's time to get serious.
Did your marriage influence your decision?
Yes, very much. Victor supports my efforts. He makes me try to do everything to get to Sochi. My “ice” family is Russian, and half of my real family is Russian too. It would be wonderful to go to Sochi and be with everyone. Victor is very supportive of me. Naturally, if he had said, “Don’t come back to the sport,” I wouldn’t have returned. I want to build my life with my husband. You understand, now I have to think not only about myself, but also about my family.
Did Victor really not know that you were a figure skater when you first met?
He didn’t know that I was doing this, and he saw my performances much later.
When and how did you first meet?
A few years ago we met in a Russian restaurant in New York. We were introduced by mutual friends. I never thought that he would become my husband, because he looked like an ordinary guy, not gay. But then, at the beginning of last year, we came into contact again. He found me on FB, we corresponded through FB. When he came back to New York and we were able to meet again, day by day I felt something special in our relationship, and suddenly it turned into something very special.
Does his presence give you extra support when you ride?
Yes. When I ride, I am happy at heart. Because I feel excited on the ice, even during hard training. Before this, when I went to training, I sometimes felt like I was going to prison. I wasn't worried, I wasn't happy. Sometimes it felt like a daily routine. Now I really like to ride and return to the sport. I ride not out of a sense of duty, but because I want to. It's a big difference. Now I know that I will come home to people who are waiting for me, even if the workout is hard or if I am a little sore. I forget that this is a routine, now this is my life for me.
“Skating to win medals is no longer for me”
Your engagement ring is simply gorgeous...
Yes. I was thinking... I was going to go with a simple ring like Victor's. He wanted platinum, and I wanted gold. I love gold, traditional things. My parents and his parents wear gold rings and so do my grandparents.
So I love gold, but I thought platinum would suit his watch better. So it was only for his sake that I agreed. At first I wanted a small diamond (points to the outer rings surrounding the main one). So that each of us would receive the power of precious metals from each other, and the small diamonds in our rings would symbolize each of us with their brilliance. But when we moved to a new place, Victor went to Atlanta for a few days, and when he returned to New Jersey, he surprised me with these two rings.
(Question to Victor) So it was a surprise gift?
IN. Yes.
D. (looking happily at Victor).
He's a good husband.
How would Victor describe your skating?
D. (looks at Victor).
Let him answer himself.
IN.
I really like Johnny's skating. What I saw today is incredibly beautiful. This is what he trained for every day. And I realized that he would be brilliant, the best skater.
I think Johnny is like a piece of art.
IN. That's for sure. He's artistic. So beautiful and inspiring. I feel a thrill when I look at him. I'm proud of his skating, it touches my heartstrings. It's just wonderful for me to be with a person who makes such an amazing impression on others.
(Johnny's question) What program will you show next time?
It's a surprise!
Surprise?
I tried to mix the very old with the very new - to make a mix of Carmen and Lady Gaga. But my team couldn't do it. I have many more good ideas, but this is a secret. When I skate this program for the first time in competition, I want to give people wonderful, brilliant and unforgettable moments. My goal is not victory. The stage when you skate in order to win is over for me. I'm too old for this. I will ride for people, to make them happy, to make them excited, to make them appreciate what I do. Music is a great helper in this.
David Wilson choreographed two of your programs for you in Vancouver, and also choreographed short programs for Takahashi and Kozuki this season. Did you like them?
In truth (whispers) I haven't seen their programs yet.
Oh! Is it true (surprised)
I didn't watch them. I was too busy to watch the competition. It would be useful for me to think about who my opponents would be, but I regret not watching my friends' performances. But David and I know them both. Daisuke Takahashi can do everything well. All programs suit him perfectly, and he is himself in them.
Do you want to convey anything to your fans who have been waiting for your return to the sport for two years?
I want to convey the following to the fans: you showed up important factor in making this decision. You told me that I should return and asked when this would happen. I didn't have an answer before. But you continued to support me during these two years when I was off the ice. That's why I'm coming back not only for myself, but also for my fans. I think you'll enjoy experiencing the ups and downs with me again over the next two years.
Some thought you wouldn't come back. Others believed so.
I'm excited. You know, a lot of people expected me to come back, and I didn't want to be like Evan Lysacek, Sasha Cohen and Michelle Kwan, who never came back.
Isn't Evan coming back?
Evan... well, he's not back yet, is he? He announced his return, but did not do so. I didn't want to do that to my fans. I didn't want to make any premature statements. But I'm coming back. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I'm coming back.
We look forward to your return.
I think you're in for a surprise (smiles).
Japan is part of my life
You agreed to take part in a charity show produced by Miki Ando. You made a T-shirt to sell for charity immediately after the earthquake. You're doing something for Japan. Why?
Japan has always had a great influence on me, ever since my first visit to the country in 2004. I have had many opportunities to go there and I feel at home there. So I wanted to do something for Japan, to lend a helping hand to help them recover from this difficult situation faster. We were able to send a lot of donations (to the Japanese Red Cross) from the sale of a T-shirt we made with Tadashi Shoji. It was just the little I could do. If I could have flown to Japan the day after the earthquake, I would have done so. When Miki-chan called me, I immediately accepted her offer. Because this is Japan. Japan is a part of my life. In recent years, trips to Japan have taken great place in my life. For this country, which has influenced me so much and which I respect, if I can do something, no matter how small, I will do it.
What program will you show? And what would you like to express in this program? (note: this interview was done BEFORE the show at Reborn Garden)
I'll show you a new program. The music for it was performed by Edwin Marton, who is known for his music in Plushenko's programs. This is a classic work by Chopin, which Marton remade in a more modern and interesting manner for his album "The Artist", which has not yet been released. With this program I want to show “tragedy and victory”, “good and evil”, “black and white”. I want to show what has happened in Japan over the past year. And at the same time, I want to bless Japan. There is a very active recovery effort in Japan. And this program is only for Japan.
In conclusion, what would you say to those people who have suffered or lost their loved ones or their family?
Please find strength within yourself. It's terrible when something happens to your family, home. But find strength, find love, find something where you can apply yourself. A broken heart will heal. Therefore, every cloud has a silver lining. Even when you are in the worst situation, lookthere is something better about her.
Thanks a lot!
D.V.
Thank you!
MORE DETAILS: http://elisir-contes.livejournal.com/195248.html#cutid1
Johnny Weir is a three-time US figure skating champion in singles. He is known primarily to fans of this sport for his outrageous costumes, artistry, and style that is different from other skaters.
Not only is his style so graceful and flexible that any girl would be jealous, Johnny Weir also, contrary to most of his colleagues, jumps and spins clockwise. He has twice been named Reader's Choice Skater of the Year by the American Figure Skating Association and Skating Magazine. However, this title is nothing compared to the fact that in 2010 the International Astronomical Union assigned the name of this athlete to the minor planet 12413 Johnnyweir.
He once admitted that when he skates, he goes into his own dream world. And in his world there are only clouds, sparkles and the smell of French perfume Chanel No. 5. His world is, perhaps, the same as himself: shiny, airy, fragrant. Weir's relationship with the world of sports developed in some magical way, which, however, is not at all surprising for such an airily unpredictable and sudden person like Johnny.
John Garvin Weir was born on July 2, 1984 in the small American town of Coatesville in Pennsylvania. I became interested in figure skating at the age of eleven, which is quite late for those who want to practice, and even more so, devote their lives to this sport. Before that, little Johnny was quite successfully involved in equestrian sports, participated in various competitions, in a word, he was a good horseman. And in 1994 I decided overnight that it would be nice to try skating. The inspiration came to Weir after the performance of Oksana Baiul, which the boy saw during the broadcast of the figure skating tournament at the Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Inspired by the performance of the Ukrainian athlete, Johnny decided that mastering this beautiful sport was urgent. But the future champion didn’t have skates.
Ingenuity and resourcefulness are the main differences between children and adults. These are the very qualities that sometimes make a very young person successful and successful, and provide him with a bright life and a bright future. Neither a pragmatic mind nor a rational approach can sometimes cope with such complex tasks, as building your own happiness and creating inner harmony.
Agile Johnny decided to master jumping by training in the basement of his own house on roller skates. When young Weir received long-awaited skates as a gift from his parents, the training ground for him became the field, frozen in winter, behind the house. Thus began the career of perhaps the most unusual skater of our time.
Of course, I had to forget about the horses. Pay for both horse riding and figure skating at the same time the parents of the applicant high hopes the athlete could not. Later, Johnny not only had to leave his partner Jodie Rudden and go to single skating, but also quit studying at the university.
As it turned out, all the sacrifices were not made in vain. After just a week of training under the guidance of coach Priscilla Hill, Weir learned to jump the Axel, which is considered the most difficult jump in figure skating.
The sports career of John Garvin Weir can be graphically depicted as a drawing for the paragraph “Harmonic Oscillations” in the textbook “Physical Foundations of Mechanics”. Victories alternated with defeats, successes with failures, injuries with recoveries; and the bronze medal at the World Championship remains today highest achievement Johnny on ice arena. However, Weir constantly strived to be not only an athlete, but also an actor. At the same time, being an artist is much more important for Weir than a skater. Yes, he is ambitious in sports, but at the same time he treats any injury or failure as an opportunity to take a sabbatical and rediscover himself. Which is what he did after the Olympic Games in Vancouver, where he became only sixth. Johnny missed the next season after the Olympics, spending it writing his memoirs Welcome to My World and recording the single Dirty Love.
Weir is an avid Russophile. Johnny never tires of repeating that he admires and idolizes Russian culture and art. He studied with a teacher in order to learn to speak and read in Russian. Since he was five years old, he has been in love with Russia. He always carries with him a small collection of Pushkin’s poems, watches the masterpiece of Soviet cinema “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears”, listens to songs performed by Alla Pugacheva, and is partial to the work of Sergei Lazarev. He loves chicken pies, black caviar, and with his elderly girlfriends he often discusses bags and fur coats, as well as how to properly prepare Olivier salad.
Yes, the skater’s friends are elderly Russian ladies. Why exactly they him best friends? Yes, because Johnny, by his own admission, is an elderly Russian woman at heart. This “woman” idolizes Evgeni Plushenko, Irina Slutskaya, Svetlana Khorkina, collects Cheburashkas and calls Moscow her favorite city, without being disingenuous at all. After all, it is unlikely that a deceiver will be awarded the “For Love of Russia” award. Weir confirms his bright feeling for our country not only in conversations with journalists and fans, but also during performances.
Not only does the athlete try not to miss a single stage of the Grand Prix in Russia, but he also wins the appreciation of the audience by performing to the song “I will never forget you!” After all of the above, it is not difficult to guess that John Weir trained under the guidance of Galina Zmievskaya, the former mentor of Oksana Baiul, who at one time became a guiding star for Weir.
Zmievskaya completely changed the figure skater’s regimen and image, his approach to training, and his skating style, which many spectators, colleagues, judges and other experts called feminine. However, not only his behavior on the ice, but also his “unsportsmanlike” manners are very elegant and sophisticated. In figure skating, he loves shiny, sparkling, extravagant costumes, and in his free time from training and performing, he is fond of clothing design: he makes sketches and patterns of outfits that only a daredevil like Johnny himself can wear (Melissa Gregory, Denis Petukhov wore them , and Weir’s muse - Oksana Baiul).
The American loves to demonstrate his beauty by participating in photo shoots for fashion magazines, the most famous of which was the one where Johnny stood in front of camera lenses in a miniskirt and elegant women's high-heeled shoes. That issue of BlackBook magazine instantly disappeared from store shelves and newsstands.
Such a versatile person: an athlete by profession, a part-time model and designer, a Russophile and also a speaker of French and Japanese, must be different from others until the very end.
In December 2011, Johnny Weir married an American lawyer of Russian origin, Viktor Voronov. Despite the fact that Weir's unconventional orientation was so obvious for quite a long time, the athlete carefully denied the rumors circulating about it. In this case, the majority of the public, cruel and loving to criticize earthly stars, can be justified, taking into account the famous photos in the BlackBook and the no less famous short program to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns “The Swan” - perhaps one of the most popular compositions used in women's ballet.
The outrageous athlete and his chosen one tied the knot on New Year's Eve. Three-time champion The USA shared such good news with the general public on his Twitter. “Finally got married!” Weir was terse, but definitely happy.
The young people met about five years ago in New York. Victor had not the slightest idea about his new acquaintance, and after separation due to Voronov’s forced departure to Atlanta, the young people realized that, contrary to all existing norms, being away from each other was beyond their control.
“Victor embodies everything I was looking for in a person with whom I would always want to be close,” Johnny wrote on his microblog a few days after the magical New Year's Eve, — I’m married now, I’m very happy! Life in sin is over."
Victor, like Johnny, does not hide his emotions, calling his chosen one the most amazing and wonderful person, and claiming that next to him a serious lawyer will never be bored.
It’s only a pity that the unusual lovers did not have a magnificent celebration. Rumor has it that Johnny and Victor wanted to legitimize their relationship so much that they did not waste time preparing for the ceremony, which would take more than one day. Again, “living in sin” would be complete torture for such vulnerable natures. Only the parents of those who took vows of love and fidelity were present at the ceremony. Johnny's mom was crying. But not when her son spoke such touching words to Victor standing opposite him, about trust, devotion, wealth and poverty, health and illness. She cried when she heard from her son that he was homosexual. Not because she was ashamed of him, she wanted everything to be like everyone else, she wanted grandchildren. But because she blamed herself. She thought that her gay son was her mistake.
The honeymoon, unlike the wedding ceremony, went according to all the rules; the couple went to the Dominican Republic to enjoy the sea, sun and white sand. Perhaps, only in such places do you stop taking various things seriously, and maybe even everything. This is the principle by which John Garvin Weir-Voronov lives. According to Johnny, taking anything too seriously is a bad thing. Yes, the athlete admits that he is strange, and he loves to have fun, despite the fact that figure skating is an old sport in which tradition rules the roost.
The most eccentric figure skater in history and the main Russophile of America, Johnny, is not at all embarrassed by all this. Although Weir announced the end professional career, he is not going to stop doing what he loves. An outlandish and bright ex-athlete, he plans to perform in ice shows, and during the Olympics in Sochi he will become a colleague of the Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova. Flanked by the Russian beauty and recent Olympic figure skating competitors Tara Lipinski and Tanith Belbin, Johnny will work as a commentator for NBC, the official broadcaster of the 2014 Games in North America.
Johnny Weir is a three-time US figure skating champion in singles. He is known primarily to fans of this sport for his outrageous costumes, artistry, and style that is different from other skaters.
Not only is his style so graceful and flexible that any girl would be jealous, Johnny Weir also, contrary to most of his colleagues, jumps and spins clockwise. He has twice been named Reader's Choice Skater of the Year by the American Figure Skating Association and Skating Magazine. However, this title is nothing compared to the fact that in 2010 the International Astronomical Union assigned the name of this athlete to the minor planet 12413 Johnnyweir.
He once admitted that when he skates, he goes into his own dream world. And in his world there are only clouds, sparkles and the smell of French perfume Chanel No. 5. His world is, perhaps, the same as himself: shiny, airy, fragrant. Weir's relationship with the world of sports developed in some magical way, which, however, is not at all surprising for such an airily unpredictable and sudden person like Johnny.
John Garvin Weir was born on July 2, 1984 in the small American town of Coatesville in Pennsylvania. I became interested in figure skating at the age of eleven, which is quite late for those who want to practice, and even more so, devote their lives to this sport. Before that, little Johnny was quite successfully involved in equestrian sports, participated in various competitions, in a word, he was a good horseman. And in 1994 I decided overnight that it would be nice to try skating. The inspiration came to Weir after the performance of Oksana Baiul, which the boy saw during the broadcast of the figure skating tournament at the Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Inspired by the performance of the Ukrainian athlete, Johnny decided that mastering this beautiful sport was urgent. But the future champion didn’t have skates.
Ingenuity and resourcefulness are the main differences between children and adults. These are the very qualities that sometimes make a very young person successful and successful, and provide him with a bright life and a bright future. Neither a pragmatic mind nor a rational approach can sometimes cope with such complex tasks as building one’s own happiness and creating inner harmony.
Agile Johnny decided to master jumping by training in the basement of his own house on roller skates. When young Weir received long-awaited skates as a gift from his parents, the training ground for him became the field, frozen in winter, behind the house. Thus began the career of perhaps the most unusual skater of our time.
Of course, I had to forget about the horses. The parents of a promising athlete could not pay for both equestrian sports and figure skating at the same time. Later, Johnny had to not only leave his partner Jody Rudden and go into singles skating, but also quit studying at the university.
As it turned out, all the sacrifices were not made in vain. After just a week of training under the guidance of coach Priscilla Hill, Weir learned to jump the Axel, which is considered the most difficult jump in figure skating.
The sports career of John Garvin Weir can be graphically depicted as a drawing for the paragraph “Harmonic Oscillations” in the textbook “Physical Foundations of Mechanics”. Victories alternated with defeats, successes with failures, injuries with recoveries; and the bronze medal at the World Championship remains Johnny’s highest achievement on the ice arena today. However, Weir constantly strived to be not only an athlete, but also an actor. At the same time, being an artist is much more important for Weir than a skater. Yes, he is ambitious in sports, but at the same time he treats any injury or failure as an opportunity to take a sabbatical and rediscover himself. Which is what he did after the Olympic Games in Vancouver, where he became only sixth. Johnny missed the next season after the Olympics, spending it writing his memoirs Welcome to My World and recording the single Dirty Love.
Weir is an avid Russophile. Johnny never tires of repeating that he admires and idolizes Russian culture and art. He studied with a teacher in order to learn to speak and read in Russian. Since he was five years old, he has been in love with Russia. He always carries with him a small collection of Pushkin’s poems, watches the masterpiece of Soviet cinema “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears”, listens to songs performed by Alla Pugacheva, and is partial to the work of Sergei Lazarev. He loves chicken pies, black caviar, and with his elderly girlfriends he often discusses bags and fur coats, as well as how to properly prepare Olivier salad.
Yes, the skater’s friends are elderly Russian ladies. Why are they his best friends? Yes, because Johnny, by his own admission, is an elderly Russian woman at heart. This “woman” idolizes Evgeni Plushenko, Irina Slutskaya, Svetlana Khorkina, collects Cheburashkas and calls Moscow her favorite city, without being disingenuous at all. After all, it is unlikely that a deceiver will be awarded the “For Love of Russia” award. Weir confirms his bright feeling for our country not only in conversations with journalists and fans, but also during performances.
Not only does the athlete try not to miss a single stage of the Grand Prix in Russia, but he also wins the appreciation of the audience by performing to the song “I will never forget you!” After all of the above, it is not difficult to guess that John Weir trained under the guidance of Galina Zmievskaya, the former mentor of Oksana Baiul, who at one time became a guiding star for Weir.
Zmievskaya completely changed the figure skater’s regimen and image, his approach to training, and his skating style, which many spectators, colleagues, judges and other experts called feminine. However, not only his behavior on the ice, but also his “unsportsmanlike” manners are very elegant and sophisticated. In figure skating, he loves shiny, sparkling, extravagant costumes, and in his free time from training and performing, he is fond of clothing design: he makes sketches and patterns of outfits that only a daredevil like Johnny himself can wear (Melissa Gregory, Denis Petukhov wore them , and Weir’s muse - Oksana Baiul).
The American loves to demonstrate his beauty by participating in photo shoots for fashion magazines, the most famous of which was the one where Johnny stood in front of camera lenses in a miniskirt and elegant women's high-heeled shoes. That issue of BlackBook magazine instantly disappeared from store shelves and newsstands.
Such a versatile person: an athlete by profession, a part-time model and designer, a Russophile and also a speaker of French and Japanese, must be different from others until the very end.
In December 2011, Johnny Weir married an American lawyer of Russian origin, Viktor Voronov. Despite the fact that Weir's unconventional orientation was so obvious for quite a long time, the athlete carefully denied the rumors circulating about it. In this case, the majority of the public, cruel and loving to criticize earthly stars, can be justified, taking into account the famous photos in the BlackBook and the no less famous short program to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns “The Swan” - perhaps one of the most popular compositions used in women's ballet.
The outrageous athlete and his chosen one tied the knot on New Year's Eve. The three-time US champion shared such good news with the general public on his Twitter. “Finally got married!” Weir was terse, but definitely happy.
The young people met about five years ago in New York. Victor had not the slightest idea about his new acquaintance, and after separation due to Voronov’s forced departure to Atlanta, the young people realized that, contrary to all existing norms, being away from each other was beyond their control.
“Victor embodies everything I was looking for in a person with whom I would always want to be close,” Johnny wrote on his microblog a few days after the magical New Year’s Eve, “I’m married now, I’m very happy! Life in sin is over."
Victor, like Johnny, does not hide his emotions, calling his chosen one the most amazing and wonderful person, and claiming that next to him a serious lawyer will never be bored.
It’s only a pity that the unusual lovers did not have a magnificent celebration. Rumor has it that Johnny and Victor wanted to legitimize their relationship so much that they did not waste time preparing for the ceremony, which would take more than one day. Again, “living in sin” would be complete torture for such vulnerable natures. Only the parents of those who took vows of love and fidelity were present at the ceremony. Johnny's mom was crying. But not when her son spoke such touching words to Victor standing opposite him, about trust, devotion, wealth and poverty, health and illness. She cried when she heard from her son that he was homosexual. Not because she was ashamed of him, she wanted everything to be like everyone else, she wanted grandchildren. But because she blamed herself. She thought that her gay son was her mistake.
The honeymoon, unlike the wedding ceremony, went according to all the rules; the couple went to the Dominican Republic to enjoy the sea, sun and white sand. Perhaps, only in such places do you stop taking various things seriously, and maybe even everything. This is the principle by which John Garvin Weir-Voronov lives. According to Johnny, taking anything too seriously is a bad thing. Yes, the athlete admits that he is strange, and he loves to have fun, despite the fact that figure skating is an old sport in which tradition rules the roost.
The most eccentric figure skater in history and the main Russophile of America, Johnny, is not at all embarrassed by all this. Although Weir announced his retirement from his professional career, he has no plans to stop doing what he loves. An outlandish and bright ex-athlete, he plans to perform in ice shows, and during the Olympics in Sochi he will become a colleague of the Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova. Flanked by the Russian beauty and recent Olympic figure skating competitors Tara Lipinski and Tanith Belbin, Johnny will work as a commentator for NBC, the official broadcaster of the 2014 Games in North America.
Tall and handsome Johnny Weir is a former American singles skater, winner of various figure skating championships. Currently, he is not involved in amateur figure skating, but his further activities are related to the creation of sports shows. His sporting achievements and hobbies will be discussed in the article.
Biography of Johnny Weir
John Garvin Weir is the full name given to him by his parents, John and Patti. Johnny was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania on July 2, 1984. He has Norwegian ethnicity and American citizenship. Weir grew up with his four-year-old younger brother, Brian. As a child, like his brother, he was interested in football, baseball, skiing and horse riding. When he started figure skating, the family moved to New York. This is where the guy studied at high school and university I left the university to concentrate on figure skating.
Start of a sports career
The sports career of figure skater Johnny Weir did not begin like all the kids whose parents bring them to the ice between the ages of three and six. It so happened that Weir started skating at the age of almost twelve. He decided to start figure skating after seeing the 1994 Olympic Games broadcast on TV. He liked the skating received highest award- gold medal. He began training on his own on roller skates. Understanding their son’s desire to engage in figure skating, his parents bought him skates and sent him to a fee-paying school at the University of Delaware. Coach Priscilla Hill noticed the talented boy and offered to train him. Jumps and turns were easy for the guy; in a week he learned one of the most difficult jumps in figure skating - the Axel.
The tenacity and work of the talented young man led him to his first gold medal four years later. He won it at age 16. That first medal paved the way for countless victories, including triumphs at the American Figure Skating Championships from 2004-2006.
Rise and end of career
In the 2003-2004 season, he won regional championships, as well as a gold medal, defeating Michael Weiss and Matthew Savoie in 2004 at the US Championships. He took fifth place in the competition at the World Championships.
The 2004-2005 season brings him two Grand Prix titles. Additionally, Johnny Mair becomes first in the 2004 NHK Trophy in Japan, and second in the 2004 Trophée Eric Bompard in France. At the 2005 American Championship he successfully defended his national title. In the 2006-2007 season he took third place at Skate Canada. The photo above is the award ceremony. In the picture in the article you can see Daisuke Takahashi, Johnny Weir.
New coach - new goals
After Skate Canada, Johnny Mair begins training with Ukrainian coach Galina Zmievskaya (pictured below). What explains the change of coach? Mair decided not to train with Priscilla Hill. Friendship, as Johnny puts it, gets in the way of “working and being the best.” And Galina Zmievskaya was once the mentor of Oksana Baiul, who at one time played main role in Johnny Mair's choice of figure skating. The 2007-2008 season brings a gold medal in the Russian Cup competition. In the fall of 2008, Mair wins silver medal to Skate America, after which he goes to South Korea on Christmas Day to perform brilliantly at a charity skating show.
Weir took third place at the US Championships. On Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver, Johnny Weir had sixth place in the sum of two programs.
Well, Johnny did one of the best programs life. If this is the end, he can retire from the sport with his head held high, but... the connectors, edges, turns and footwork... weren't as good as Lysacek or Takahashi.
This is how the famous American figure skater Carol Heiss assessed Weir’s skating.
In the fall of 2013, Johnny announced in an interview with the press that he had decided to end his sports career, but was joining the NBC Olympics as a figure skating analyst for winter games 2014 in Sochi.
Awards and achievements
During my sports career from 1996 to 2010 Johnny won 27 medals. He took part in 51 competitions.
The true king of ice, Johnny Weir, was filmed in the documentary "Pop Star on Ice" by filmmakers James Pellerito and David Barba. The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival. A series was filmed about Johnny called Be Good Johnny Weir, dedicated to training, everyday life and performances in competitions. He is remembered by figure skating fans for his smooth, graceful skating and inimitable artistry, as well as fancy costumes.
Weir took part in the variety show - My Life on the D-List. His career success has given him a good financial backing of $2 million.
Johnny has been repeatedly awarded all kinds of titles in America. Considering sporting achievements Johnny Weir, he was announced as the 2008 winner of the Readers' Choice Skater of the Year Award. In 2010, Johnny received the Visibility Award from the Human Rights Campaign. That same year, he also receives the NewNowNext "Most Exciting Reality Star" Award for Documentaries Be Good Johnny Weir And Pop Star On Ice.
Johnny Weir, acting on behalf of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, as envoy goodwill in Japan in 2012 he represented America. He was honored as a 2013 National Hero by the nonprofit Delaware Valley Heritage Foundation.
In 2014, Weir and Tara Lipinski covered the Sochi Winter Olympics olympic competitions By speed skating for the famous NBC channel. The number of extravagant outfits in which Johnny reported the competitions, and simply appeared on the streets of the capital of the Olympic Games, Sochi, could be the envy of socialites. As he said later, it was a test of tolerance.
Former Olympians commented on the latest Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. Their extravagant outfits reminded many people on Instagram of the Capitol characters in The Hunger Games.
Johnny Weir Projects
After completing his career in figure skating, Johnny took up many projects that were brewing in him, but while playing sports there was not enough time for it. Now he decided to express himself through these projects. They are all artistic: designing costumes and fashion lines, creating songs, writing a book.
Weir says that through these activities he can express different aspects of his character, and therefore this period can be called a special time in his life. When he skated, he had to train a lot in order to have the strength that is necessary for an athlete. Therefore, now the skater is resting, dissolving in other worries. He enjoys life, looking for new ways to express himself. For example, Weir began to sing. Takes part in photo shoots. He says he wants to immortalize himself so that when he gets old, these photographs will remind him of what he looked like when he was young.
Personal life
Weir is a versatile personality. At one time, being carried away by the Russian school of figure skating and Russian culture, he independently learned the Russian language. In addition, he speaks fluent French and Japanese. He is interested in fashion design. Johnny's wardrobe contains unique collectibles. The skater designed his own costumes for performances. Many skaters used his advice in this area. Costumes for ice dancers Denis Petukhov and Melissa Gregory were made based on his sketches. John - creator of Oksana Baiul's costume ice show.
Weir's marital status
The former American figure skater does not hide his unconventional views, considering it a personal choice and the right of every person. He had a relationship with a Russian guy of Jewish origin. Viktor Voronov, Weir's chosen one, has a legal education. Weir announced his intentions to officially register the marriage in an interview with an American tabloid. On New Year's Eve, December 30, 2011, Johnny Weir and Viktor Voronov officially married in New York and lived there for a long time. The couple divorced in 2015. The reason for the divorce was due to personal misunderstandings.
Weir was previously in a relationship with Adam Lambert in 2010. Being a celebrity, his fans are always curious to know more about him. However, this does not mean that his personal life is in the center of attention of Americans. Therefore, when thinking about Johnny Weir's personal life, you should not speculate about romantic relationships. If they exist, he talks about them without hiding.
Johnny Weir was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, the son of John and Patti Weir, graduated with honors from Newark High School and studied linguistics by correspondence at the University of Delaware. As a child, he was involved in equestrian sports and participated in horse riding competitions, and became interested in figure skating only at the age of 11, extremely late by modern standards (usually athletes begin skating at 3-4 years old). In 1994, Weir saw figure skater Oksana Baiul perform on television at the XVII Winter Olympics. The skating of Oksana Baiul, who then received a gold medal, made a great impression on the boy, and he decided to try jumping on his own, practicing in the basement on roller skates. When Johnny Weir's parents bought him figure skating skates, he began practicing on the frozen field behind his house. In the end, he was sent to paid classes in a group at the University of Delaware. The parents secretly hoped that the local woman would be interested in their son. hockey team, but Johnny skated alone and drew figures on the ice. Coach Priscilla Hill noticed his talent and began to train him personally, and within a week Weir learned to jump the Axel, the most difficult jump in figure skating. Johnny's family soon moved to Newark, Delaware to live closer to the coach and skating rink.
His parents couldn't afford to spend money on both figure skating and horse riding, so Weir decided to leave his pony and concentrate on figure skating. He initially skated with Jodi Rudden, but eventually went solo. He also dropped out of university to devote himself to sports.
2001-2004: Beginning of career
Weir won his first World Junior Championships in 2001: having skated cleanly in all three programs (qualification, short and free), he won the gold medal against another American, Evan Lysacek. Technically, both athletes showed approximately the same level, but of all the performers Skaters Weir received the highest marks for artistry. Thus, for the first time since 1987, the USA took the first two places on the junior podium. That same season, Weir finished sixth at the US Championships and fourth at the Four continents, an analogue of the European Championship for non-European countries (he lost to Canadian Geoffrey Battle, Japanese figure skater Takeshi Honda and Chinese Gao Sun). This was the first and only time in Weir's career that he took part in this competition. The athlete missed almost the entire next season (2002-2003) due to injury. At the 2003 National Championships, Weir hit the side of the rink while performing his free program, started the performance again, but immediately injured his knee due to an unsuccessful landing after a triple Axel, after which he withdrew from the competition.
The 2003-2004 season, when Weir turned 19, was a turning point in his career. He qualified for the US Championships (2004), where for the first time he received a score of 6.0 for his free program and took first place, becoming the youngest champion since Todd Eldridge. At the World Championships, Weir took fifth place, losing to such rivals as Evgeni Plushenko, Briand Joubert, Stefan Lindemann and Stéphane Lambiel. During this time, he continued to train with Priscilla Hill, first at the University of Delaware in Newark, then they moved to the Pond Ice Arena in the same city. In addition, from 2003 to 2005, Weir consulted with Russian coach Tatyana Tarasova, visiting her at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, Connecticut. Tarasova helped stage the short program Valse Triste (“Sad Waltz”) to the music of Jean Sibelius; short and free programs of the 2004-2005 season Rondo Capriccioso (“Rondo Capriccioso”) to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns and Otonal by Raoul Blasio; programs for the 2005-2006 season Amazonic + Hana’s Eyes + Wonderland by Maxim Mrvica and the famous The Swan (“Swan”) by Camille Saint-Saëns, which the skater called his favorite program.
2004-2007: Three times US champion
The following season (2004-2005), Weir successfully competed in the Grand Prix Figure Skating series, which consists of several stages in different countries. He won the Japanese NHK Trophy and was second at the Trophée Eric Bompard in France. According to ISU rules, the skaters who score the most points at two stages of the Grand Prix are selected for the finals, but they also receive points only for two stages. However, Weir went to his third Russian Cup stage and took second place behind Russian Evgeni Plushenko. At the 2005 US Championships, the skater, who competed for a medal with Olympic bronze medalist Timothy Gable and his peer Evan Lysacek, skated the free skate almost flawlessly and received five 6.0 marks for artistry, winning gold for the second time in the United States. The technical scores were also high - 5.8 and 5.9. Evan Lysacek took silver, but in subsequent years the main intrigue of the national championships will be built on Weir’s rivalry with this skater. At the World Championships in Moscow he came fourth, still not performing a four-revolution jump. “The quadruple in our time is an integral part of men’s figure skating, and I understand that I have to do it,” the skater explained. “I’ll include it [in the program] when I’m ready.”
The next few seasons branded Weir as a "skater short program“: it repeatedly happened that after an excellent performance in the short program, he negated all the advantage over his opponents with numerous errors in the free program, and lost the opportunity to take a high place on the podium.
The 2005-2006 season was not easy for Weir. At the Skate Canada Grand Prix stage (2005), he took only seventh place, as he sprained his ankle at the very beginning of the short program, and at the Russian Cup he became third after Plushenko and Stéphane Lambiel. At the US Championships he again became first, despite a miscalculation free program: Weir did four combination jumps, while under the new rules only three are allowed (this season the old six-point scoring system was abolished and the New Judging System came into effect). However, a good performance in the short program and a significant lead over the opponents in points compensated for this tactical miscalculation and error on the triple Axel. Thanks to his victory at the national championship, he automatically qualified for the national team for the Winter Olympic Games in Turin and the World Championships in Calgary. At the Olympic Games, the Americans had high hopes for him. The skater was second after the short program and followed Evgeni Plushenko, but due to the lack of a quadruple jump, as well as due to missing one of the jumps in the free program, he ended up only fifth. At the World Championships, in the absence of Plushenko, Weir had a chance to win a medal, but took seventh place, allowing large number mistakes in the free program - in particular, after a quad he landed on two feet and then fell from a triple flip. The skater explained that he had been tormented by “back spasms” all week and although he “really wanted to do a quad, but [his] body just didn’t listen.”
In the 2006-2007 season, she worked as choreographer Johnny Veira Olympic champion in ice dancing Marina Anisina. She helped choreograph the short program King of Chess and the free program Child of Nazareth to music by Maxim Rodriguez. In the Grand Prix series of figure skating, Weir was a medalist at stages in Canada and Russia, but at the finals in St. Petersburg he was forced to withdraw from the competition as a result of a hip injury after a fall. At the US Championships after good performance in the short program he came second, although he was only slightly behind Evan Lysacek on points. In the free program, he unsuccessfully performed a triple Axel, fell from a triple loop, and after a quadruple toe loop, he landed on two feet and ultimately took third place. Weir later explained that he was very upset with his second place after the short program: “It was my best skate of the season, and they still put me below Lysacek. It became clear that I couldn’t win, even if I skated the free program cleanly. So the mood for the free program was not the best, because I was not sure of victory even with a 100% clean performance.” At the World Championships, the skater took only eighth place.
Change of coach and new goals
After the failures of the last season, Weir decided to leave coach Priscilla Hill. In the summer of 2007, he moved from Newark to Lyndhurst, New Jersey and began training under the guidance of Galina Zmievskaya, Oksana Baiul's former mentor. Zmievskaya is assisted by Viktor Petrenko, who also works as an ISU technical controller.
Weir, whose riding style was often described as feminine, decided to make his image more masculine. She and Galina Zmievskaya completely changed the figure skater’s regime, image and approach to training, in particular, they decided to include quadruple jump.
“My new program will feature a quadruple jump,” Weir commented, “although I... perform it only because it is considered almost the norm for men's figure skating. As for me, the quadruple jump is a very difficult jump, many people often make mistakes when performing it. And a fall can ruin a program that is ideal in all respects.”
After the athlete began training with Zmievskaya and moved to Lyndhurst, he lives separately from his parents. In an interview, he said that at first he was very nervous and put a kitchen knife near his bed before going to bed, but over time, living away from home benefited him and made him more disciplined.
2007-2009: Fight for medals
He spent the new season (2007-2008) very well. At the Cup of China Grand Prix (2007), Weir defeated Lysacek by performing eight jumps in the free program, including a triple Axel combination. He increased his own personal record, set three years ago, by almost 6 points. In an interview after the performance, Weir said that he had never felt so comfortable on the ice. He also won gold at the Russian Cup, ahead of Stéphane Lambiel and Russian Andrey Gryazev. Two gold medals at the Grand Prix stages secured Weir a place in the finals, but during the performances an old leg injury worsened, so the skater fell in the short and then in the free program, and took fourth place.
At the 2008 US Championships, Weir had a 1.35 point lead over Lysacek after the short program. In the free program, he performed a quadruple sheepskin coat with a slight error and scored more points for jumps and program components, while Lysacek turned out to be better in spins and skate control, so in the free program he surpassed his opponent by exactly the same number of points (1.35). The points were a draw, but according to ISU rules, the gold medal in this case goes to the skater who won the free skate, so Lysacek became the US champion, and Weir was second. At the World Championships in Gothenburg, where Lysacek did not attend due to injury, Weir skated one of the best short programs of his career, increased his personal best and took second place behind Jeffrey Battle. In the free program, he performed less confidently (in his own words, he was nervous) and was only fifth, but according to the total results he became third and won his first medal at the World Championships - bronze. Geoffrey Battle, who completed his amateur career after this season, took gold, and Briand Joubert took silver.
Weir began the 2008-2009 season by winning a silver medal at Skate America in October 2008. Despite a severe cold and constant cough, the athlete also came second at the NHK Trophy, and therefore qualified for the Grand Prix final, where he won bronze medal in December 2008. Gold went to his peer and teammate, American Jeremy Abbott, and silver to young Japanese figure skater Takahiko Kozuka. In winter, Weir participated in a charity ice show in Korea with Korean figure skater Kim Young Ah. Due to a gastrointestinal infection, he was hospitalized and spent several days on an IV, so preparations for the US Championships were disrupted. At the competition, Weir was only able to perform a triple Axel once, fell on a triple flip in the free skate and finished only in fifth place - his lowest since 2002. Thus, he did not make the US team for the 2009 World Championships, although he hoped that the national federation would make an exception for him as a medalist at the previous championship. The athlete nevertheless attended the tournament as a fan, as he decided that watching his opponents from the sidelines would help him in the next season. In addition, at the invitation of NBC, he commentated on the women's short program.
Weir worked on staging programs for the next season with choreographer David Wilson. He will take part in the Grand Prix stages in Russia and Japan.
Personal life
Johnny Weir considers himself a Russophile and says that he admires the Russian school of figure skating and Russian culture. He independently learned to speak and read Russian, and studied with a professional teacher for some time. The figure skater collects Cheburashkas, and he has two Chihuahua dogs at home, one of which is named Vanya. Weir regularly takes part in the Grand Prix stages in Russia, calling Moscow his favorite city. In December 2007, he took part in the “Ice Show of Two Capitals,” which took place simultaneously in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and in the same year he was awarded the “For Love of Russia” award.
In addition to Russian, Weir speaks French and Japanese. He is interested in fashion design and has worked as a model and appeared in fashion magazines. The figure skater created costumes not only for his performances, but also for dancers Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov, as well as for Oksana Baiul, who skated in the ice show. He said he loves designing because he believes figure skating costumes have historically been “crazy, over-the-top, bombastic and sparkly.”
There are rumors about Weir's possible homosexual orientation, which he does not confirm, but partly provokes himself, for example, by calling himself a “princess” or being photographed in a miniskirt and high-heeled shoes for BlackBook magazine. According to Weir himself, the rumors were born because of his short program The Swan to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns "The Swan", which he skated in the 2005-2006 season - music that is traditionally used in women's ballet. Swan Weir's costume and bright red glove were later parodied in the film Blades of Glory: Starbreakers on Ice (2007), where one of the main characters appears as a peacock.
Documentary film production company Idea Factory produced documentary, dedicated to this skater - “Pop Star on Ice”, which was filmed from 2006 to the spring of 2008. The premiere took place on May 24, 2009 at the Seattle International Film Festival. In December of the same year, the film was shown on the Sundance Channel. Its creators are filming a television series about Weir, which is scheduled to air on the Sundance Channel in 2010. Weir has appeared on television before: he participated in the reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, where he taught the main character to skate.
The skater usually spends his free time with his family - his parents and brother Brian, who is four years younger than him.
