Johnny Weir

John Garvin Weir is an American television commentator and retired competitive figure skater. Born on July 2, 1984, he is a two-time Olympian, competing in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. Over his competitive career, he became the 2008 World bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2001 World Junior Champion, and a three-time U.S. National champion from 2004 to 2006. He was the youngest U.S. National champion since 1991 and became the first American male skater to win the Cup of Russia in 2007.

Weir was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, to John Weir, a nuclear power plant engineer, and Patti Weir, a nuclear power plant worker and home inspector. Raised in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, he competed in English saddle equestrian events as a child, winning several competitions with his pony by age nine. After watching figure skating during the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, he began learning to skate at age twelve. His family relocated to Newark, Delaware, so he could train under his first coach, Priscilla Hill. Weir graduated from Newark High School in 2002 and studied linguistics at the University of Delaware before dropping out.

Weir competed in both single and pair skating early in his career before focusing exclusively on singles. He advanced quickly through regional and national events, winning the World Junior Championship in 2001 at age sixteen. Competing as a senior, he placed sixth at the 2001 U.S. Nationals and fifth at the 2002 U.S. Nationals. Following a difficult 2002–2003 season marked by injuries and a withdrawal from the 2003 U.S. Championships, Weir trained with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova during the summer of 2003 to rebuild his confidence and execution.

The 2003–2004 season served as a turning point in Weir's career. At age nineteen, he won his first national title at the 2004 U.S. Nationals in Atlanta, receiving a perfect 6.0 score for presentation. He went on to place fifth at the 2004 World Championships. Weir defended his national title in 2005 and 2006, becoming the first male skater to win three consecutive U.S. titles since Brian Boitano in the late 1980s. After replacing Hill with coach Galina Zmievskaya for the 2007–2008 season, he earned a bronze medal at the 2008 World Championships.

Weir qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics by winning bronze at the 2010 U.S. Nationals and retired from competitive figure skating in 2013. Known for his classical, lyrical skating style and active role in designing his own costumes, he later gained recognition for his broadcasting fashion choices. He joined NBC as a figure skating analyst starting at the 2014 Sochi Olympics alongside Terry Gannon and Tara Lipinski, commentating across four Olympic Games. Weir came out publicly in early 2011 and has participated in LGBTQ activism.