Johnny Weir diva he's ice. Johnny Weir, American figure skater: biography, personal life, sporting achievements

INTERLOCUTORS OF Elena VAITSEKHOVSKAYA

In America, he was considered the most talented of those who had ever won the US championships. He became a champion for three seasons in a row, including the Olympic season before the Games in Turin. There they predicted a golden future for the skater, considering Evgeni Plushenko almost the only real rival, but he remained fifth. In Vancouver, I also didn’t reach the podium, and a few months before the start of the Games in Sochi I somehow very casually finished amateur career, refusing to participate in Olympic selection. With his retirement from the sport, an era that was not very successful in terms of medals, but very bright, ended. The Johnny Weir era.

In mid-October we met with the legend of the American figure skating in Novogorsk near Moscow.

I still have very ambivalent feelings about your leaving the amateurs. I really wanted to see you on the ice, although I understood perfectly well that...

That I'm no longer a fighter?

That your career doesn't end on the highest note, let's put it that way. I remember too well how brilliant a future was predicted for you in 2001, when you became the world junior champion. How difficult was the decision to quit the sport?

It was heavy. My career was not ordinary from the beginning. I started skating too late - at 12 years old. That is, he did not grow up on the ice, like most skaters, but was forced to learn a fairly large number of things very quickly. He succeeded in some things, not in others. If I had initially had more inner confidence in own strength, perhaps the results could have been different.

As for my departure, I really wanted to perform in Sochi. It's just that this desire didn't fit very well with mine. everyday life. There was a whole bunch of different things that frankly made it difficult to fully concentrate on training, although I perfectly understood that at least two performances in the Olympic season would require all my strength. This is a national championship, where you need to be selected for a team with fairly strong competition, and the Games themselves.

I have always believed that it only makes sense to participate in competitions if you are able to fight for victory. Well, or, at least, you think that you have a chance to fight for it. But I have no chance by and large was no longer there. And I myself was perfectly aware of this: I could not become better, I could not become younger, I could not compensate for those years of training that I did not have as a child. I could only rely on my talent and popularity, but this is not the basis on which you can seriously rely when performing at the Olympics. Therefore, I increasingly began to think that I did not have to get on skates to take part in the Games. And in the end I went to them as a commentator for NBC.

* * *

- At your first Games in Turin, you competed as US champion.

Just that year he won the national championship for the third time in a row. The Games themselves became a huge stress for me. Not only did I dream about them for nine years, but also a great many people looked at me as a person capable of fighting Plushenko. You know, now I have a lot of time to look at my own career from the outside, rethink some things, analyze mistakes. I was perfectly prepared for those Games physically, but not mentally. Roughly speaking, if I had 15 or 20 years of competitive experience behind me, perhaps I would have been able to pull myself together and perform in the free program as well as I did in the short program, where I showed the second result. Between the first and second performances we then had a day of rest, and during that day I worked myself up to such an extent that I could neither eat, nor sleep, nor breathe. I actually stopped understanding what was happening. And in the free program he completely fell apart.

Although, looking back, I understand perfectly well that the Games in Turin were my only chance to win an Olympic medal.

Photo by AFP

How long did it take you to recover from that failure?

About a year. I spent the post-Olympic tour of the USA in an extremely depressed state. It seemed to me that by performing on the show, I was catastrophically wasting time that should have been used for training. The 2007 season turned out to be a mess and ended with me leaving Priscilla Hill, the coach who worked with me from the very first steps on the ice.

I remember you said, commenting on this step, that you and the coach became too close to each other to continue working successfully together.

This is true. Priscilla was almost like a mother to me, and the more she took care of me, the more I allowed myself to be capricious. It began to seem to me that I knew much better how to train, that the coach was limiting my freedom. I listened with half an ear, not particularly trying to follow the coach’s instructions. In general, I went through all those stages of relationships that at a certain age happen to teenagers with their own parents. At the same time, I understood: if I want to continue skating, I desperately need someone who can make me work. Actually, on summer camps I started coming to Tatyana Tarasova precisely for this reason, while still working with Priscilla.

- Why then did they choose not Tarasova, but Galina Zmievskaya as a permanent mentor?

I chose between four coaches, and all of them were Russian. To see Tarasova I would have to go to Moscow for a long time, to see Rafael Harutyunyan - to California, Nikolai Morozov’s group wandered all over America like a gypsy camp, which also didn’t suit me very much. I have always been too attached to my own family. I understood that if I left, I would certainly begin to suffer from loneliness and try to return by any means. Zmievskaya worked in Simsbury, a two-hour drive from my home. In addition, at one time she trained two athletes whose skating I admired - Viktor Petrenko and Oksana Baiul.

Galina seemed to me to be a fairly tough coach - just the kind I needed. Clearly understanding how and what needs to be done to achieve the goal.

- Was working with a Russian coach very different from what is customary in the USA?

The main difference, perhaps, is that training is not limited to the time you spend on the ice. Galina could call me in the evening, ask what we are having for dinner and remind me not to eat too much, because in the morning training I will need to do quadruple jumps. At the same time, she gladly invited me to her house on Fridays - she prepared vinaigrette, cutlets, and Russian Olivier salad. This is an amazing combination: absolute coaching rigor and comprehensive care. Zmievskaya could come home from training and spend several hours in front of the computer (even though she was not very good at it) to find for me on the Internet exactly those warm training leggings that I wanted to buy.

Overall we worked very well together. Sometimes it seemed to me that deep down I was much more Russian than American.

* * *

- Has such a pronounced commitment to everything Russian ever created problems for you?

Certainly. It started back when I was riding with Priscilla Hill. In 2001, I won the junior world championship and then for the first time I saw Zhenya Plushenko compete at the adult world championship in Vancouver. IN short program he rolled Bolero - in a velvet red suit trimmed with gold embroidery, with long hair, which also shone with gold... It was so beautiful that I somehow suddenly realized that I wanted to skate just like that. I began to try to work more expressively on the ice, especially with my hands, and pretty soon I heard from the coach that it would be nice if my skating was more “American” and not “ballet-like.”

The second incident took place in Turin. Tanya Totmyanina gave me her sports jacket with the inscription “Russia” there for good luck. I didn't get out of it. I also did this because I really didn’t like the official uniform of the US team. Between you and me, she was terrible.

I did not respond to claims from our officials. Well, yes, I was lucky enough to become the champion of my country, I was given the opportunity to go to the Olympics, but this did not mean that a place on the team automatically made me the property of the figure skating federation or Olympic Committee, and that I should do whatever they want?

Well, in Vancouver things got even worse.

Photo by AFP

- Was this somehow connected with the fact that you have a Russian coach?

Rather, since our main language during training was Russian, it was more convenient for Zmievskaya.

It is clear that the American leadership did not like this. I realized the extent of their hostility towards me at my last training session before the short program, where not a single person from the US team showed up. I can't say that it hurt me much, but it was a good indicator.

- How tough was your confrontation with Evan Lysacek in those years?

We have always had a difficult relationship - starting from that junior championship, where I came first and Evan came second. After that, the American press began to constantly try to push us in every possible way. Perhaps the journalists simply wanted to stir up the topic of rivalry - just as it was around Plushenko and Alexei Yagudin. Of course, this was pressing, although I myself did not want to take any part in this. I know too well how hard the life of a skater is to allow myself to say nasty things about my opponents. If I ended up in this mess, there’s no need to mess it up.

* * *

One of the famous Russian swimming coaches once said about his student that she was too kind and sympathetic person to compete for the championship. Maybe some of your failures are of the same nature?

Maybe. You know, when I was asked to comment on Plushenko’s return to amateur sports before the Sochi Games, I said that I didn’t know a single athlete capable of fighting as fiercely. I've never been like this. I liked skating, I liked winning, I liked it when the program was performed without errors, but it was never, as Tarasova likes to say, “breaking”: I performed, fell and died. Well, yes, it worked a couple of times. But these were rather exceptions.

- What happened in Vancouver?

Even before the start of the Games, I clearly understood that I would not become a champion even if I skated both of my programs with the purest quadruple jumps.

- Why?

Because the American Federation did not support me, but Evan. It was he who was the “face” of the federation, just as in Sochi Gracie Gold was such a “face” simply because her last name is Gold. Lysacek was convenient for everyone. He, unlike me, never argued with anyone or tried to defend his point of view.

Another question is that my popularity in the USA was much higher. I hosted my own television show, I liked to think that in this way I was raising the popularity of my sport, that I was in demand everywhere. By the way, I was able to prepare very well for those Games. And I skated both programs perfectly. I think these were the best performances of my life. But he remained sixth. I lost even to those who skated with falls.

Photo by AFP

- How did Evan’s victory at those Games make you feel?

The paradox is that I didn’t see the skating itself. Of all those who performed in our warm-up, only Plushenko was able to watch, since he skated second to last - before him. I was sure that if Zhenya did a quadruple jump and made no mistakes in the other elements, he would win. It seemed to me that the judges simply could not help but take into account all his previous merits.

I first saw Lysacek's performance after the Games, when it appeared on YouTube. I can say that Evan has never skated so well in his life. But there, in Vancouver, I was so upset that I lost, plus the fact that Zhenya lost, which... In general, it was a very sad night. I almost immediately went backstage and burst into tears. There was too much that had accumulated that I could no longer keep inside. There, behind the curtain, Zmievskaya found me. She wrapped me in her mink coat, then, after the doping control, she took me to Olympic Village and brought French fries from McDonald's into the room. And the two of us mourned ours with these fried potatoes. Olympic Games.

- Did you believe that Plushenko would be able to compete in the individual tournament at the Games in Sochi?

In the business that is figure skating, words often have no meaning at all. But Zhenya is a special case. If he promises something, you can be sure that he will do everything to keep this promise. Therefore, in fact, I had no doubt at all that he really intended to compete at the Games. He skated great in team competitions, I was just proud of him. But before the short program it was already clear that it was painful for him to move.

It's really terrible when your body doesn't allow you to do what you want. But it was even more terrible - at least for me - to look at it from the outside. I really hope that next Games…You know he’s going there, right? Perhaps in this way Zhenya simply wants to atone for everything that happened in Sochi.

* * *

- What part of your life continues to belong to figure skating?

I exercise every day.

- Because you like it, or because you need it?

I have quite a lot of shows, and I would not like to one day realize that I am kept in them only because I was once a famous figure skater. It’s very important for me not just to skate, but to skate well, to be in shape, to jump. So figure skating is still a huge part of my life. I also continue to work as a commentator for NBC with Tara Lipinski. Before the Games in Sochi, we commented on certain competitions separately, but at the Games themselves it was decided not only to pair us up, but also to show us to the public - before that we were just “voices in a box.”

It quickly became clear that we both love super-fashionable clothes and adore extravagance. In general, day after day we tried to entertain the audience with all the means available to us, while talking about figure skating.

-Are you not tired of the excessive publicity of your life?

I have quite a lot of opportunities to take a break from this. In America, for example, I cannot afford to leave the house unkempt, unwashed, or carelessly dressed. And in Russia now I can’t get out of my favorite sweater for two weeks. Sometimes people recognize me on the streets, but I can’t say that this causes any concern. There are no paparazzi, no one is throwing tantrums about what I tweeted or posted on Instagram.

Photo by AFP

- Are Twitter and Instagram a business necessity or a pleasure?

- Even when they try to teach you how to live?

I've never had a problem with this. My parents explained to me quite early on that such attempts are just a reflection of this or that person’s own complexes. And that reacting to such things is at least stupid. I don't react.

- Do I understand correctly that your parents are not Americans?

They were both born in the USA. But my grandparents were Norwegians. This is a common story in America, but I like to wake up in the morning and remember that I am a hereditary Viking.

- I also read that in addition to Russian, you speak French and Japanese.

Only French. I taught him for three years at school. Americans usually choose to study Spanish, which is more in demand in the USA, but French seemed to me more sophisticated, or something. Well, in Japanese I can only say a couple of phrases.

I always liked teaching foreign languages. I'm a country guy, from a tiny town in Pennsylvania. Language made it possible to get out of these village frameworks and look at life more broadly. I love my country, I’m proud to be an American, but at the same time I like to travel, come to Japan, China, Russia, stay at the Metropol, rent a car with a driver, try unusual food...

In my opinion, Russia is a very tough country. And very strong.

Photo by AFP

- Perhaps this is one of the few countries where they can say a lot of unpleasant things to a person’s face, don’t you think?

What's the problem? The world is full of unpleasant things. The main thing is not to let these things control your life. Personally, I generally prefer clear and understandable wording. “Johnny, your suit is terrible, as is your hair!” “Johnny, you’re fat, you need to lose weight urgently.” My mother has always been a very straightforward person, and she taught me to call things by their proper names. For me, this is much more acceptable than phrases like: “Should we just eat salad instead of dinner today?”

As for unpleasant things, hardly anyone can say them more about my life than myself.

Not long ago, a huge scandal erupted in tennis due to the fact that one of the officials called the Williams sisters brothers. Would it bother you to hear “little Johnny” or something similar addressed to you?

Not at all. I am a rather eccentric person, I live in a same-sex marriage and behave accordingly. Not long ago, Katya Gerboldt and I were walking around Moscow, and suddenly I heard behind me: “Look, look, a man in a fur coat! Yes, he…” So what, should I react to this?

- And you like wearing high heels?

No, of course not - heels hurt your feet, and you know this no worse than I do. But I am a representative of show business, a public person. I worked like hell for so many years in figure skating, can’t I really afford to have a little fun? At the same time, it would never even occur to me to wear heels all the time.

2 October 2015, 15:11

Johnny Weir is an American figure skater, 2001 world junior champion, and 2008 world bronze medalist. Best result at the Olympic Games - 5th place in Turin, 6th in Vancouver, where he was judged cruelly ((

Born in Pennsylvania in 1984. As a child, I was involved in equestrian sports, but I saw Oksana Baiul perform at the 1994 Olympic Games and decided to take up equestrianism. figure skating. I started training at a small ice skating rink with my home at the age of 11, which is very, very late for professional skaters (usually they start at 4-5).

In 2011, he won the World Junior Championship against Evan Lysacek, with whom he would later compete for the rest of his life for leadership in the American team.

Johnny loves Russia very much, Russian figure skating, speaks our language perfectly)) He has two dogs: Tema and Vanya

IN last years Before the Olympics in Vancouver, he went to train with the Russian coach Galina Zmeevskaya, who trained in America.

Here's what Johnny himself says about the coach, the situation during the Olympic Games and his rivalry with Lysacek in an interview with Elena Vaitsekhovskaya:

– Has such a pronounced commitment to everything Russian ever created problems for you?

- Certainly. It started back when I was riding with Priscilla Hill. In 2001, I won the junior world championship and then for the first time I saw Zhenya Plushenko compete at the adult world championship in Vancouver. In the short program, he skated Bolero - in a velvet red suit, trimmed with gold embroidery, with long hair that also shone with gold... It was so beautiful that I somehow immediately realized that I wanted to skate just like that. I began to try to work more expressively on the ice, especially with my hands, and pretty soon I heard from the coach that it would be nice if my skating was more “American” and not “ballet-like.”

I did not respond to claims from our officials. Well, yes, I was lucky enough to become the champion of my country, I was given the opportunity to go to the Olympics, but that didn’t mean that a place on the team automatically made me the property of the figure skating federation or the Olympic committee, and that I had to do whatever they wanted?

Well, in Vancouver things got even worse.

– Was this somehow connected with the fact that you have a Russian coach?

– Rather, with the fact that our main language during training was Russian – it was more convenient for Zmievskaya.

– How tough was your confrontation with Evan Lysacek in those years?

– We have always had a difficult relationship – starting from that very junior championship, where I became first, and Evan – second. After that, the American press began to constantly try to push us in every possible way. Perhaps the journalists simply wanted to stir up the topic of rivalry - just as it was around Plushenko and Alexei Yagudin. Of course, this was pressing, although I myself did not want to take any part in this. I know too well how hard the life of a skater is to allow myself to say nasty things about my opponents. If I ended up in this mess, there’s no need to mess it up.

There is no separate video from the Olympic Games, but here is Johnny at the US Championships in 2010

In 2011, he openly admitted that he is gay. In the same year he married Russian lawyer Viktor Voronov

Last year they divorced ((Johnny's heart is now free.

During the Olympic Games in Sochi, he commentated on FC for an American television channel together with Tara Lipinski (1998 Olympic champion). They are friends and communicate well in everyday life, they always have very funny photos on social networks. Well, if I were Tara, I would gladly steal Johnny’s bags and accessories)))

I’m glad that Johnny is very popular in various shows; after all, there are many restrictions and frameworks in amateur sports. But in the show, Jonnik expresses himself as best he can - the costumes alone are worth it))

A few recent numbers from the show:

Well, his costumes for the Red Carpet are also gorgeous, I must say))

In ordinary life, Johnny also likes to shock

The collection of beach looks also deserves attention:

– Not long ago, a huge scandal erupted in tennis due to the fact that one of the officials called the Williams sisters brothers. Would it bother you to hear “little Johnny” or something similar addressed to you?

- Not at all. I am a rather eccentric person, I live in a same-sex marriage and behave accordingly. Not long ago, Katya Gerboldt and I were walking around Moscow, and suddenly I heard behind me: “Look, look, a man in a fur coat! Yes, he…” So what, should I react to this?

–And do you like wearing high heels?

- Of course not - heels hurt your feet, and you know this no worse than I do. But I am a representative of show business, a public person. I worked like hell for so many years in figure skating, can’t I really afford to have a little fun? At the same time, it would never even occur to me to wear heels all the time.

- Are Twitter and Instagram a business necessity or a pleasure?

It seems to me that for all his freakiness, Johnny is a fairly reasonable person, he knows that in this image he has a greater chance of being in demand in shows and various events. At the same time, he is very open and not evil))

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. Skating by Oksana Baiul, who then received 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 skaters who competed, 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. In the same season, Weir became sixth at the US Championships and fourth at the Four Continents Championships, an analogue of the European Championships 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 next season (2004-2005) Weir successfully competed in the Figure Skating Grand Prix 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 bronze medalist Olympic Games, Timothy Gable and his peer Evan Lysacek, skated the free program 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 “short program skater”: it often 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 the high place on a pedestal.

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 the first, despite a miscalculation in the free program: Weir made four cascades of jumps, while according to the new rules only three are allowed (this season the old rating system on a six-point scale was abolished and a new judging system came into effect ). Nevertheless, good performance in the short program and a significant lead over his 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 Plushenko's absence, Weir had a chance to win a medal, but finished seventh, making a large number of errors in the free skate - 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 a successful performance in the short program, he came second, although he was only slightly behind Evan Lysacek in 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.

Best of the day

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.

"In my new program there will be 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 before going to bed he put it near the bed kitchen knife, but over time, life 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 Weir's performances he 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 program 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, and 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 a constant cough, the athlete also came second at the NHK Trophy, and therefore qualified for the Grand Prix final, where he won a 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 event with Korean figure skater Kim Young Ah. ice show In Korea. 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 able to perform a triple Axel only 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 subsequently parodied in the film Blades of Glory: Starbreakers on Ice (2007), where one of the main characters appears as a peacock.

Documentary production company Idea Factory produced a documentary about the skater, Pop Star on Ice, which was filmed from 2006 to spring 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.

The skater got married, but kept his last name

Three-time US champion Johnny Weir, who seemed to have completed his sports career, suddenly announced that he would like - following the example of Evgeni Plushchenko - to compete at the Olympics in Sochi. The 27-year-old American has not participated in competitions for two years, but during this time he managed to find his other half. Handsome Johnny... got married!

There have been rumors about his gayness in the world of figure skating for a long time. And when Johnny Weir in a short program he performed the famous “Swan” from a musical play Saint-Saens, and then took a photo in a miniskirt and stilettos, suspicions intensified even more. At the Olympics in Vancouver, one of the Canadian commentators, looking at Weir’s soft and flexible movements, said that this skater should compete in women's tournament. What started here! Johnny was offended, shed a tear, the Americans demanded an apology from the Canadian, but he refused! I had to influence the commentator through diplomatic channels, and only then did an apology follow. A year later, in an interview with People magazine, Weir finally admitted that he was homosexual.

Gut is thin

A Russian lawyer became the chosen one of the popular figure skater Victor Voronov, a graduate of Georgetown Law School. As it turned out, the young people met several years ago in New York, and Voronov was far from sports and had no idea what Johnny was doing. They were quickly drawn to each other. When Victor was forced to return from New York to Atlanta, Johnny became sad - he literally could not find a place for himself! But last summer the “doves” met again, and a whirlwind of love swirled around them with renewed vigor.

“Victor embodies everything I was looking for in a person I would want to always be close to,” Johnny Weir wrote on Twitter. - I'm married now, I'm very happy! Life in sin is over!

The young couple entered into their same-sex marriage in New York and spent their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. Vitya gave his lover a massage every evening, and he quietly moaned with pleasure. Johnny wanted to get married so much that he agreed to a marriage without a wedding - they simply didn’t have time to prepare it. However, the skater’s friends and acquaintances clearly hint that it is still necessary to organize a lavish party for such an occasion. They say they are waiting.

It is curious that after registration, the husband took a double surname - Weir-Voronov. And Johnny kept the old one.

The American figure skater has two more years to prepare for the Games in Sochi. Weir is younger Plushenko, So physical strength he'll probably have enough. True, Johnny is unlikely to be able to beat our champion. So far he has never succeeded in this - apparently, he has little guts.

By the way

Johnny Weir learned Russian on his own, collects plush Cheburashkas and has a good knowledge of Russian culture. And he gave his dog a rare name in the USA - Vanya.

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 sports shows. About his sporting achievements and hobbies we'll talk 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 in high school and university. He 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 that received the highest award - a 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 won a silver medal at Skate America, after which he went to South Korea on Christmas Day to perform brilliantly at a charity skating show.

Weir took third place at the US Championships. At the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Johnny Weir was sixth in the total 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 sports achivments 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, represented America as Goodwill Envoy to Japan in 2012. 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 commentated on the latest Pyeongchang Olympics. 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 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 is the creator of Oksana Baiul's ice show costume.

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 it 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.