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Johnny Weir

John G. "Johnny" Weir (born July 2, 1984 in Coatesville, Pennsylvania) is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion (2004-2006), the 2008 National silver medalist and the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist. He is currently ranked 4th in the world.[1] Weir placed 2nd after the short program of the 2006 Winter Olympics and finished 5th after the long program. Unlike most figure skaters, he is a clockwise spinner and jumper.[2]

Personal life

Weir was born in Coatesville, Chester County, Pennsylvania (sometimes referred to incorrectly as Lancaster County), to parents John and Patti Weir. He has a brother, Brian, who is four years younger than he is.[3] [4] His family moved to Newark, Delaware soon after Johnny began skating at the age of twelve to be near his training rink and coach.[5] In the summer of 2007, he moved to Lyndhurst, New Jersey and began training in nearby Wayne, New Jersey.[6]

Weir was an honor roll student at Newark High School and studied linguistics part-time at the University of Delaware before dropping out to concentrate on his skating.[7] [8] He is a self-proclaimed Russophile who admires the skating style and culture of Russia[9] and taught himself to speak and read the language. He also speaks some French.[10]

Weir owns two pet chihuahuas named Bon-Bon and Vanya[11] and is a collector of Russian Cheburashka memorabilia.[12] He has an interest in fashion design and has designed ice dancing costumes for Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov[13] and show costumes for Oksana Baiul.[14]

Weir's Swan short program from the 2005-2006 season was the inspiration for one of Jimmy MacElroy's costumes in the film Blades of Glory.[15]

Weir skated with the Champions on Ice touring ice show every spring from 2004 until 2007, their last season before going out of business.[16] [17] Off the ice, he has appeared in a fashion spread in BlackBook magazine[18], taught Kathy Griffin how to skate in the season two finale of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.[19], and modeled in runway shows for the fashion label Heatherette.[20]

Film documentary company Idea Factory has produced Johnny Weir: Black Swan Rising, a documentary series with six 30-minute episodes about Weir that has been scheduled for broadcast on the Sundance Channel in 2009.[21]

In July 2008, the United States Figure Skating Association and Skating Magazine announced Weir as the winner of the 2008 Reader's Choice Award for Skater of the Year, an annual trophy voted upon by skating fans and awarded to the American skater or skating team whose achievements were of the highest merit in the previous season.[22]

Career

Weir at the 2004 world championships in Dortmund, Germany

When he was a boy, Weir was a successful competitor as an equestrian.[23] He became interested in figure skating at the age of eleven while watching Oksana Baiul win her 1994 Olympic gold medal. He taught himself how to jump on roller skates in his basement. His parents eventually bought him a pair of used figure skates, and he practiced on a frozen cornfield behind his family home.[24][25] His parents then purchased group lessons for him at the University of Delaware, where coach Priscilla Hill soon noticed his talent and took him on as a private student.[26]

Although he began skating at the relatively late age of 12, Weir progressed quickly through the ranks. He performed an Axel jump in his first week on skates.[27] His parents could not afford to support both his figure skating and his equestrian pursuits, so young Johnny reluctantly gave up his pony, My Blue Shadow, and turned his focus completely to figure skating. He competed in pair skating with Jodi Rudden on the juvenile and intermediate levels, but gave it up to concentrate on single skating.[28]

Early career

Weir's first major victory came in 2001 when, at the age of 16, he skated three clean programs at the World Junior Championships and won the gold medal ahead of fellow American Evan Lysacek.[29] This was the first time since 1987 that the U.S. had placed first and second on the World Junior podium.[30] Weir also placed sixth that year at the senior U.S. Figure Skating Championships.[31]

At the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he literally hit the wall during his long program. He restarted the program, but immediately injured his knee on a failed triple axel landing. This time he was too injured to restart, so he withdrew from the competition.[32] Shortly after this competition, he switched club affiliation from the University of Delaware FSC to the Skating Club of New York, which he still represents.[33]

Senior career

Weir in his Swan costume, competing at the 2006 World Championships.

The 2003-2004 season was the turning point for Weir. He qualified for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships by winning his regional and sectional championships. He received the first 6.0 of his career during his long program at 2004 U.S. Championships, winning the gold over Michael Weiss and Matthew Savoie.[34] He then competed at the 2004 World Championships and placed fifth.[35]

In the 2004-2005 season, Weir won his first two Grand Prix titles. He won the first at the NHK Trophy in Japan and the second at Trophée Eric Bompard in France.[36] Only two Grand Prix events per season can count toward a skater's point totals under ISU rules,[37] but Weir also skated at the 2004 Cup of Russia for no official points and took the silver medal behind reigning world champion Evgeni Plushenko.[38] At the 2005 US Championships, he earned five 6.0's for presentation with his free skate to Otonal and successfully defended his national title.[39] He went on to compete at the 2005 World Championships with a landing foot injury and placed fourth.[40]

The 2005-2006 Olympic season proved difficult for Weir. He came in seventh at Skate Canada International after spraining his ankle on a jump landing at the start of the free skate and struggling through the rest of the program,[41] and third at Cup of Russia.[42] In December 2005, he won the men's competition at the 2005 Marshall's Figure Skating Challenge, in which results were determined live by call-in votes and texts from viewers, in the final round over Michael Weiss with 64% of the vote.[43] At the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he won his third consecutive title and, as the national champion, was automatically named to the U.S. Olympic and World teams.[44]

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Weir skated a personal best short program and was in second place behind Evgeni Plushenko in that segment. However, Weir omitted some of his planned jumps in the free skate, and finished off of the podium in fifth place.[45] At the 2006 World Championships, Weir finished seventh, fighting a nagging back injury.[46]

Weir began the 2006-2007 competitive season at Skate Canada International, where he placed third, then went on to Cup of Russia and won the silver medal, his third consecutive medal at that event.[47] He placed second at the 2006 Marshall's Figure Skating Challenge with his performance to The Swan, an exhibition version of his Olympic program, and Weir's signature piece.[48]

Weir withdrew from the 2006 Grand Prix Final before the free skate due to a hip injury he sustained in a freak fall during the short program.[49] At 2007 US Nationals, Weir was in second place after the short program, less than a point behind Evan Lysacek. In the free program, he was unable to complete his triple axel combination, fell on a triple loop and doubled several of his planned combinations. He attempted a quadruple toe loop but it was heavily two-footed on the landing. Weir lost his national title and finished in third place.[50] At the 2007 World Championships, Weir placed eighth.[51]

New Focus

After the disappointments of the 2006-2007 season, Weir made the decision to shake up his training regimen by leaving the only coach he had ever had, Priscilla Hill, moving out of his family home and moving on his own to New Jersey to train with Ukrainian coach Galina Zmievskaya.[52] He subsequently had a great start to his 2007-2008 season at the Cup of China where he skated two clean and strong programs, achieving new personal best scores for both his free skate and overall score and winning the gold medal over fellow American Evan Lysacek.[53] He then went on to Cup of Russia and took the gold medal there, as well.[54] The two first place finishes secured him a spot at the Grand Prix Final, where Weir competed with a recurring injury in his landing foot and stumbled in both his short and long programs but still managed to place 4th overall.[55]

At 2008 U.S. Nationals, Weir won the short program over Evan Lysacek by 1.35 points but Lysacek won the long program by exactly the same amount, resulting in a tie. Weir completed a slightly two-footed quadruple toe loop in his long program and scored more points on his jumps and in the program components than Lysacek but Lysacek scored more points for his spins and footwork.[56] Under ISU rules, in the event of a tie the winner of the long program is awarded the gold medal,[57] so Weir settled for the silver.

At the 2008 World Championships, the US had failed to medal at all in every other discipline when the men took the ice last. Weir skated a brilliant short program and received a career-best score that put him in second place. In the free program, he skated steadily but tentatively, eliminating the second jump from his first planned combination and doubling a planned triple jump on another combination. His quadruple toe loop was also downgraded to a triple for being slightly underrotated. However, the program was strong enough for him to finish fifth in the free skate, and when combined with his short program score, Weir won his first Worlds medal - a bronze - and kept the US from being shut out of the medals at a World Championship for the first time since 1994.[58] [59]

For the 2008/2009 Grand Prix season, Weir was assigned to compete at Skate America and the NHK Trophy.[60] He won the silver medal at Skate America in October 2008.[61]

Coaching changes

From the beginning of his career at age twelve, Weir trained under coach Priscilla Hill. They worked together first at the University of Delaware in Newark and after the 2002/2003 season moved to the Pond Ice Arena, also in Newark. Weir also spent part of each summer between 2003 and 2005 working with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, Connecticut.[62]

He changed coaches in the summer of 2007 when he moved to the Ice Vault Arena in Wayne, New Jersey and began working with Galina Zmievskaya, who previously coached Weir's idol Oksana Baiul .[63] [64] Zmievskaya's son-in-law Viktor Petrenko acts as Weir's assistant coach, and her daughter Nina Petrenko is one of his choreographers.[65]

Programs

Season Short Program Long Program Exhibition
2008-2009 Sur les ailes du temps
by Saint-Preux		 Notre Dame de Paris soundtrack
by Richard Cocciante		 Ave Maria
by Josh Groban
Danse Mon Esmeralda
by Garou
2007-2008 Yunona I Avos
by Svetlana Pikous		 Love is War
by Globus		 Ave Maria
by Josh Groban
All In Love Is Fair
(Title: Painful Longing)
by Stevie Wonder
Feeling Good
by Nina Simone
2006-2007 King of Chess
by Silent Nick
(Karl Jenkins - Palladio Suite)		 Child of Nazareth
by Maxime Rodriguez		 My Way
by Frank Sinatra
Yunona and Avos
by Alexei Rybnikov
The Swan
by Camille Saint-Saëns
Imagine
by John Lennon
All In Love Is Fair
(Title: Painful Longing)
by Stevie Wonder
Sarabande Suite
(Title: Fallen Angels)
by Globus
Passacaglia/Nature Boy
(Title: Enchanted)
by Secret Garden and David Bowie
2005-2006 The Swan
by Camille Saint-Saëns		 Amazonic + Hana's Eyes + Wonderland
by Maksim Mrvica
Otonal
by Raul DiBlasio		 My Way
by Frank Sinatra
2004-2005 Rondo Capriccioso
by Camille Saint-Saëns		 Otonal
by Raul DiBlasio		 Unchained Melody
by The Righteous Brothers
What a Wonderful World
by Louis Armstrong
Yunona and Avos
by Alexei Rybnikov
2003-2004 Valse Triste
by Jean Sibelius		 Dr. Zhivago
by Maurice Jarre		 Imagine
by John Lennon
2002-2003 "Innocence" and "Zydeko"
by Benoit Jutras		 Dr. Zhivago
by Maurice Jarre
2001-2002 Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
by Itzhak Perlman		 Themes from "The Puppet Master",
"Spirit of the Peacock",
"A City of Sadness"
by Zhao, Jiping and Nic Raine		 Cinema Paradiso
2000-2001 Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
by Itzhak Perlman		 The Heart of Budapest
by Mantovani		 What a Wonderful World
by Louis Armstrong
This I Promise You
by NSync
1999-2000 Espana Cani
by Erich Kunzel		 "An American Tail" Soundtrack What a Wonderful World
by Louis Armstrong
She's All I Ever Had
by Ricky Martin
1998-1999 Sabre Dance Malaguena
1997-1998 Russian Folk Music
"Svetit Mesiatz"		 Malaguena
1996-1997 Juvenile Program: "Rudy" Soundtrack

Choreography

Competitive Short Program

Competitive Long Program

Exhibition

Competitive highlights

Senior

Event 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009
Winter Olympic Games 5th
World Championships 5th 4th 7th 8th 3rd
Four Continents Championships 4th
United States Championships 5th WD 1st 1st 1st 3rd 2nd
Grand Prix Final WD WD 4th
NHK Trophy WD 1st TBD
Skate America 2nd
Cup of China 1st
Cup of Russia WD 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st
Skate Canada International 7th 7th 3rd
Trophée Eric Bompard 4th 1st
Finlandia Trophy 2nd
Eastern Sectionals 1st
Mid-Atlantic Regionals 1st



Junior

Event 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001
World Junior Championships 1st
United States Championships 3rd N. 4th J. 5th J. 6th
Junior Grand Prix, China 2nd
Junior Grand Prix, France 6th
Junior Grand Prix, Norway 2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Czech Republic 7th
Junior Grand Prix, Slovakia 1st
Triglav Trophy 2nd N.
Eastern Sectionals 1st N. 1st J. 1st J. 1st
Mid-Atlantic Regionals 1st
South Atlantic Regionals 1st N.
  • N = Novice level; J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew



|-

References

  1. ^ ISU World Standings for Figure Skating and Ice Dancing
  2. ^ US Figure Skating Official Site, December 16, 2006: "Johnny Weir Withdraws from Grand Prix Final Due to Injury"
  3. ^ ISU Athlete Biography
  4. ^ Icenetwork.com, December 21, 2007: "Johnny Weir is Home for the Holidays"
  5. ^ Philadelphia Magazine, January 2008: "Johnny Drama".
  6. ^ icenetwork.com, August 24, 2007: "Weir Makes Changes with Eye on Redemption"
  7. ^ 2006-2007 U.S. Figure Skating Media Guide
  8. ^ Philadelphia Magazine, January 2008: "Johnny Drama"
  9. ^ Michael Collins Enterprises, December 3, 2006: "Johnny returns to his home town to donate $1,000 and talk to kids"
  10. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  11. ^ The Official Site of The US Olympic Team, December 3, 2006: "Olympic Skater Returns to Quarryville to Give Back".
  12. ^ Johnny Weir Online: The Official Site, July 2006 Q&A.
  13. ^ US Olympic Team Official Website January 26, 2007: "Weir to Defend Title"
  14. ^ icenetwork.com, May 1, 2008: The Inside Edge with Sarah and Drew
  15. ^ Philadelphia Magazine, January 2008: "Johnny Drama".
  16. ^ Skate Today, May 8, 2007: "Champions on Ice Entering Stage of Transition"
  17. ^ International Figure Skating, December 13, 2007: "Champions on Ice Reportedly Closes Up Shop"
  18. ^ BlackBook Magazine, August/September 2006, pp. 132-141: "Johnny, I'm Only Dancing"
  19. ^ Bravo TV: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Season 2
  20. ^ International Figure Skating Magazine, September 15, 2006: "Johnny Weir Models for Heatherette at New York's Fashion Week"
  21. ^ Monsters and Critics, April 3, 2008: "Sundance Channel Announces Programming Lineup".
  22. ^ US Figure Skating Official Site, July 24, 2008: "Johnny Weir Wins SKATING Magazine 2008 Reader's Choice Skater of the Year Award"
  23. ^ Golden Skate, December 24, 2001: "Weir Jumps from Show Rink to Ice Rink"
  24. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  25. ^ Washington Post, February 7, 2006: "Icebreaker and His Obstacles"
  26. ^ Golden Skate, December 24, 2001: "Weir Jumps from Show Rink to Ice Rink"
  27. ^ Golden Skate, December 24, 2001: "Weir Jumps from Show Rink to Ice Rink"
  28. ^ Golden Skate, December 24, 2001: "Weir Jumps from Show Rink to Ice Rink"
  29. ^ World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2001
  30. ^ New York Times, May 2, 2001: "US Men Finish First and Second"
  31. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  32. ^ Salon.com, March 16, 2005: Iceboy Cometh
  33. ^ SkatingSource.com "Weir gets Best Performance Award, moves to Simsbury to train with Tarasova" Retrieved May 8, 2008
  34. ^ U.S. Figure Skating Official Site, January 10, 2004: "Johnny Weir Collects a Perfect 6.0 and Claims Gold"
  35. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  36. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  37. ^ International Skating Union Special Regulations & Technical Rules
  38. ^ USA Today, November 27 2004: "Plushenko, Slutskaya shine at Cup of Russia"
  39. ^ USA Today, January 15, 2005: "Weir Defends Men's Skating Title at U.S. Nationals"
  40. ^ Official Site of the U.S. Olympic Team, March 17, 2005: "Evan Lysacek Wins Bronze at Worlds"
  41. ^ USA Today, October 29, 2005: "Czisny has Golden Performance at Skate Canada"
  42. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  43. ^ ArticleSet.com, December 27, 2005: 900 Number and Text Message Voting Decide Figure Skating Challenge"
  44. ^ 2006 State Farm US Figure Skating Championships Official Site. January 14, 2006: "Three Newcomers Head to Olympic Winter Games in the Men's Event"
  45. ^ Official Site of the U.S. Olympic Team, January 26, 2007: "Weir to Defend Title"
  46. ^ US Olympic Committee Press Box, March 23, 2006: Figure Skating, Updated
  47. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  48. ^ Commentary from the 2006 Marshall's Figure Skating Challenge. Broadcast on ABC. December 11, 2006. 1-3 p.m. EST at Agganis Arena at Boston University.
  49. ^ U.S. Figure Skating Official Site, December 16, 2006: "Johnny Weir Withdraws from Grand Prix Final Due to Injury"
  50. ^ USA Today, January 28, 2007: "Figure skater Lysacek hits career pinnacle at nationals"
  51. ^ US Figure Skating Association Athlete Bio
  52. ^ International Figure Skating, June 15, 2007 "New Coach For Johnny Weir: Three-Time U.S. Men’s Champion to Train With Galina Zmievskaya"
  53. ^ International Figure Skating Magazine, November 10, 2007: "Johnny Weir Claims His First Cup of China Grand Prix Title"
  54. ^ ISU Athlete Biography
  55. ^ icenetwork.com, December 21, 2007: "Johnny Weir is Home for the Holidays"
  56. ^ 2008 US Figure Skating Championship Results
  57. ^ International Skating Union Special Regulations & Technical Rules
  58. ^ March 22, 2008: Weir Wins Only US Medal at World Championships
  59. ^ March 23, 2008, Associated Press: "Worlds 2008: Weir salvages US medal hopes, titles to Japan’s Asada and Canada’s Buttle"
  60. ^ ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2008-2009 Assignments: Men. Retrieved June 21, 2008
  61. ^ icenetwork.com, October 26, 2008: "Kozuka Leapfrogs Americans for Gold Medal"
  62. ^ US Figure Skating Official Site, December 27, 2004: "Johnny Weir Prepares to Defend his U.S. Title"
  63. ^ "U.S. Figure Skating Athlete Bio for Johnny Weir".
  64. ^ New Coach For Johnny Weir Three-Time U.S. Men’s Champion to Train With Galina Zmievskaya
  65. ^ ISU Athlete Biography

External links

Navigation

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United States national champions in figure skating – Men's singles

1914: Norman M. Scott · 1918: Nathaniel Niles · 1920–1924: Sherwin Badger · 1925: Nathaniel Niles · 1926: Chris Christenson · 1927: Nathaniel Niles · 1928–1934: Roger Turner · 1935–1939: Robin Lee · 1940–1941: Eugene Turner · 1942: Bobby Specht · 1943: Arthur Vaughn Jr. · 1946–1952: Dick Button · 1953–1956: Hayes Alan Jenkins · 1957–1960: David Jenkins · 1961: Bradley Lord · 1962: Monty Hoyt · 1963: Thomas Litz · 1964: Scott Allen · 1965: Gary Visconti · 1966: Scott Allen · 1967: Gary Visconti · 1968–1970: Tim Wood · 1971: John Misha Petkevich · 1972: Kenneth Shelley · 1973–1975: Gordon McKellen, Jr. · 1976: Terry Kubicka · 1977–1980: Charles Tickner · 1981–1984: Scott Hamilton · 1985–1988: Brian Boitano · 1989: Christopher Bowman · 1990–1991: Todd Eldredge · 1992: Christopher Bowman · 1993–1994: Scott Davis · 1995: Todd Eldredge · 1996: Rudy Galindo · 1997–1998: Todd Eldredge · 1999–2000: Michael Weiss · 2001: Timothy Goebel · 2002: Todd Eldredge · 2003: Michael Weiss · 2004–2006: Johnny Weir · 2007–2008: Evan Lysacek
v • d • 
World Junior champions in figure skating – Men's singles

1976: Mark Cockerell · 1977: Daniel Beland · 1978: Dennis Coi · 1979: Vitali Egorov · 1980: Alexander Fadeyev · 1981: Paul Wylie · 1982: Scott Williams · 1983: Christopher Bowman · 1984: Viktor Petrenko · 1985: Erik Larson · 1986: Vladimir Petrenko · 1987: Rudy Galindo · 1988: Todd Eldredge · 1989: Viacheslav Zagorodniuk · 1990: Igor Pashkevich · 1991: Vasili Eremenko · 1992: Dmitri Dmitrenko · 1993: Evgeni Pliuta · 1994: Michael Weiss · 1995: Ilia Kulik · 1996: Alexei Yagudin · 1997: Evgeni Plushenko · 1998: Derrick Delmore · 1999: Ilia Klimkin · 2000: Stefan Lindemann · 2001: Johnny Weir · 2002: Daisuke Takahashi · 2003: Alexander Shubin · 2004: Andrei Griazev · 2005: Nobunari Oda · 2006: Takahiko Kozuka · 2007: Stephen Carriere · 2008: Adam Rippon
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