Johnny Weir

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**Johnny Weir**
Personal Info

Johnny competing at the 2004 World Championships.
Country:	United States
Residence:	Newark, Delaware
Height:	5'9" (172 cm)
Weight:	139 lbs
Coach:	Priscilla Hill, Marina Anissina
Choreographer:	Marina Anissina
Skating Club:	SC of New York
ISU Personal Best Scores
Short + Free Total:	220.25	2004 NHK Trophy
Short Program:	80.00	2006 Olympics
Free Skate:	146.20	2004 NHK Trophy

Most Recent Results:
Event	Points	Finish	Year
World Championships	206.97	8th	2007
National Championships	213.20	3rd	2007
Cup of Russia	196.28	2nd	2006
Skate Canada	198.70	3rd	2006

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) and the 2007 national bronze medalist. He is currently ranked 8th in the world. ^[1]

1 Biography
2 Off the Ice
3 Programs
4 Competitive highlights
5 References
6 External links
7 Navigation

[edit] Biography

Weir originally competed as an equestrian. He became interested in figure skating while watching Oksana Baiul win her Olympic gold medal. He taught himself how to jump on roller skates in his basement. After his parents bought him figure skates, he practiced on a frozen corn field. His parents then bought him lessons and, after showing promise, Weir focused completely on becoming a skater. Although he began skating at the relatively late age of 12, he progressed quickly through the ranks. He performed an Axel jump in his first week on skates. He competed in pair skating with Jodi Rudden on the juvenile and intermediate levels, but gave it up to focus on single skating.

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

At the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he literally hit the wall during his long program. He restarted the program, but injured himself later on a failed triple axel landing. This time he was too injured to restart, so he withdrew from the competition.

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 his first 6.0 during his long program at 2004 U.S. Championships, winning the gold over Michael Weiss and Matthew Savoie. He then competed at the 2004 Worlds and placed fifth.

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. He came in second at Cup of Russia behind reigning world champion Evgeni Plushenko. At the 2005 U.S. Championships, he successfully defended his title. At Worlds the following month, he placed fourth.

The 2005-2006 Olympic season would prove difficult for Weir. He came in seventh at Skate Canada International after injuring his foot on a jump landing at the start of the free skate and struggling through the rest of the program, and third at Cup of Russia. He rallied at the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, winning his third consecutive title and was automatically named to the U.S. Olympic team.

At the Olympics, Weir skated a brilliant short program and was in second place behind Evgeni Plushenko in that segment. However, Weir omitted some of his planned jumps in the free skating, and fell to fifth in the final standings. At the 2006 World Championships, Weir finished seventh, fighting a nagging back injury. Weir also landed his first clean quadruple jump at the competition.

He began the 2006-2007 competitive season at Skate Canada International, where he placed third. He went on to Cup of Russia and won the silver medal, his third consecutive medal at that event. He withdrew from the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final after the short program due to injury. In the 2007 National Championships, Weir was in second place after the short program, less than a point behind Evan Lysacek. In the free program, he did not have his best performance. 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 finished in third place behind Ryan Bradley and Evan Lysacek.

Weir trains at the Pond Ice Arena in Newark, Delaware, under long-time coach Priscilla Hill. Unlike most figure skaters, he is a clockwise spinner.

[edit] Off the Ice

Weir studied linguistics at the University of Delaware before dropping out in his second year to concentrate on his skating. He is interested in fashion design and is a self-proclaimed "Russiaphile" who admires the style of skating and language of Russia. He also speaks French.

Off the ice, he has appeared in a fashion spread in BlackBook Magazine and taught Kathy Griffin how to skate in the season two finale of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Weir modeled for the Heatherette show during Olympus Fashion Week in the fall of 2006 and again in the spring of 2007. He is an avid collector of Russian Cheburashka memorabilia.

[edit] Programs

2006 - 2007 Season

Short Program

King of Chess - Silent Nick (Karl Jenkins - Palladio Suite)

Free Skate

Child of Nazareth - Maxime Rodriguez

Exhibition

My Way - Frank Sinatra

Desert Rose - Sting

Yunona and Avos - Alexei Rybnikov

The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns

Imagine - John Lennon

Weir performed My Way at Skate Canada International and the winter Marshalls event, performed Yunona and Avos at Cup of Russia, turned his old Swan short program into an exhibition program for the winter Marshalls event, and performed Imagine at the 2007 United States Figure Skating Championships.

2005 - 2006 Season

Short Program

The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns

Free Skate

Amazonic + Hana's Eyes + Wonderland - Maksim Mrvica

Otonal - Raul DiBlasio

Exhibition

My Way - Frank Sinatra

Weir returned to Otonal following the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He performed the program at the 2006 Winter Olympics and at the 2006 World Figure Skating Championships.

2004 - 2005 Season

Short Program

Rondo Capriccioso - Camille Saint-Saëns

Free Skate

Otonal - Raul DiBlasio

Exhibition

Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers

Yunona and Avos - Alexei Rybnikov

2003 - 2004 Season

Short Program

Valse Triste - Jean Sibelius

Free Skate

Dr. Zhivago - Maurice Jarre

Exhibition

Imagine - John Lennon

2002 - 2003 Season

Short Program

"Innocence" and "Zydeko" - Benoit Jutras

Free Skate

Soundtrack from Dr. Zhivago - Maurice Jarre

2001 - 2002 Season

Short Program

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg - Itzhak Perlman

Free Skate

Themes from "The Puppet Master," "Spirit of the Peacock," and "City of Sadness" - Zhao Jiping and Nic Rain

Exhibition

Cinema Paradiso

2000 - 2001 Season

Short Program

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg - Itzhak Perlman

Free Skate

The Heart of Budapest - Mantovani

Exhibition

What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

This I Promise You - NSync

1999 - 2000 Season

Short Program

Espana Cani - Erich Kunzel

Free Skate

"An American Tail" Soundtrack

Exhibition

What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

She's All I Ever Had - Ricky Martin

1998 - 1999 Season

Short Program

"Sabre Dance"

Free Skate

Malaguena

1997 - 1998 Season

Short Program

"Russian Folk Music" - Svetit Masjaz

Free Skate

Malaguena

1997 - 1998 Season

Juvenile Program

"Rudy" Soundtrack

[edit] Competitive highlights

Event	1997-1998	1998-1999	1999-2000	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003	2003-2004	2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007
Winter Olympic Games									5th
World Championships							5th	4th	7th	8th
Four Continents Championships					4th
United States Championships	3rd N.	4th J.	5th J.	6th	5th	WD	1st	1st	1st	3rd
Grand Prix Final										WD
Skate Canada International					7th				7th	3rd
Trophée Eric Bompard					4th			1st
Cup of Russia						WD		2nd	3rd	2nd
NHK Trophy						WD		1st
Finlandia Trophy							2nd
World Junior Championships				1st
Junior Grand Prix, China				2nd
Junior Grand Prix, France				6th
Junior Grand Prix, Norway			2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Czech Republic			7th
Junior Grand Prix, Slovak Republic		1st
Triglav Trophy	2nd N.