title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir competed in both singles and pair skating during his first year of competition; Hill paired him with Jodi Rudden to help him focus on other aspects of figure skating, such as spins, stroking, and artistry, rather than on jumping. Rudden and Weir won the South Atlantic Regionals and qualified for the Junior Olympics in juvenile pairs that first year, and in intermediate pairs the following season. Also in his first year of skating (1997), Weir finished fourth as a juvenile in the Junior Olympics and won first place in the South Atlantic Regionals, also as a juvenile.


title: Johnny Weir

text: During the 1997–1998 season, Weir won regional and other minor competitions as a novice in single skating, and came in third place in the novice division at the U.S. National Championships. Weir moved up to the junior level during the 1998–1999 season. Like the previous year, he competed in regional and minor competitions and came in fourth place at the U.S. Nationals. Weir stated that along with his relative inexperience with competing and a growth spurt, he struggled with nerves during this period, which affected his performances.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir became eligible to compete in the Junior Grand Prix during the 1999–2000 season, coming in seventh and second place in his two Junior Grand Prix assignments. At the 2000 U.S. Nationals, he was the only competitor in the junior division who attempted a triple Axel in his short program, but despite falling, the judges put him in first place. He fell again during his free skate, and ended up in fifth place, while Evan Lysacek, in their first meeting in competition, came in first, even though Lysacek was in fifth after the short program.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir won the Junior Eastern Sectionals in 1999 and 2000. The following season (2000–2001), Weir competed as a senior for the first time, coming in sixth place at the U.S. Nationals despite "a bad hip flexor injury", and winning the Eastern Sectionals as a senior. He was the third alternate at the 2000 Junior Grand Prix final, coming in sixth and second place at his two Junior Grand Prix assignments, but won, at the age of 16, the gold medal at the World Junior Championships. He was the tenth American to win at Junior Worlds and the first American male skater since Derrick Delmore won in 1998. Lysacek won the silver medal; it was the first time since Rudy Galindo and Todd Eldredge in 1987 that American men came in first and second place. Despite falling on the simplest jump in his short program, a triple flip, Weir was placed first going into the free skate. Weir received the best artistic scores, receiving 5.7s for presentation in his free skate.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir was ranked 18th-best in the world in 2001. He came in seventh place and fourth place in his two Grand Prix assignments during the 2001–2002 season, participated in the Goodwill Games and a team pro-am competition, came in fifth place at the 2002 U.S. Nationals, and came in fourth place in the 2002 Four Continents Championships.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In the 2002–2003 season, which figure skating reporter Lou Parees called "disastrous" for Weir, he skated in one international competition, the Finlandia Trophy and withdrew from the Cup of Russia. He also withdrew, during his free skate, from the 2003 U.S. Championships in Dallas, which gold medalist Michael Weiss called "the most bizarre national championships ever". Weir was in second place after the short program, with a clean skate with all eight required elements. He felt confident going into the free skate, but hit the rink wall 23 seconds after he started, catching his blade between the ice and wall while doing a "simple crossover". He fell and injured his back, but the referee allowed him to continue where he stopped. He stepped out of his first triple Axel and fell again on his second, injuring his knee to the point that he had to withdraw.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Philanthropist Helen McLoraine, who had helped support Weir and other skaters financially for many years, fell leaving the rink after a skating session in Dallas and died, something that added to his sense of "personal failure and...painful loss". Weir later reported that due to what he called his "stupidity and hubris", U.S. Figure Skating withdrew their support of him; sports writer Barry Mittan agreed, stating that they "essentially gave up on Weir".


title: Johnny Weir

text: The 2003–2004 season was "the turning point" for Weir; Mittan called it "an amazing comeback". In the summer of 2003, he trained with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova for six weeks at the International Skating Center in Simsbury, Connecticut. Weir's friend and fellow skater Sasha Cohen helped him contact Tarasova, who waived her fees for him. Working with Tarasova gave Weir the confidence he needed to recover from the previous season. He moved from his longtime rink, the more prestigious one at the University of Delaware, to a nearby rink called The Pond, which was less crowded and not as well-known.


title: Johnny Weir

text: The only Grand Prix competition U.S. Figure Skating assigned to Weir that season was "the second tier" Finlandia Trophy. He was one of two skaters to skate a clean short program with a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, a "scratchy triple Axel", and the best spins in the field. He was first after the short program, but came in second place overall, slightly behind Gheorghe Chiper from Romania. Weir popped both his lutz and loop jumps, but successfully performed his triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and four other triple jumps. He also had to compete in the Eastern Sectionals again, coming in first place despite a fall and securing a spot in the U.S. Nationals.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir came into the 2004 U.S. Nationals in Atlanta with "something to prove". He came in first place, the first to do so by qualifying at sectionals since Rudy Galindo in 1996. It was his first national title. He was also the youngest male skater, at the age of 19, to win the U.S. Nationals since Todd Eldredge won in 1991, also at the age of 19. Weir's short program was not the most difficult, but he had "a clean and elegant skate" with a triple lutz-triple toe combination, a triple Axel, and a triple flip, all landed successfully. He was in first place after the short program, with marks ranging from 4.9 to 5.8. He also won the free skate, even though he did not include a quadruple jump. Skating last, his program was "elegant yet loaded with solid jumps", including eight triple jumps and two combination jumps: a triple Axel-triple toe and his triple lutz-triple toe. After completing his free skate, Weir kissed his hand and pounded the ice with it as the audience gave him a standing ovation; he stated, "I was very thankful at that point, and I was thanking the ice in Atlanta for letting me do my best". His scores ranged from 5.8 to 6.0, which included seven 5.9s for technical merit and a 6.0 for presentation, the first perfect score earned by a man at U.S. Nationals since Weiss earned one in 2000; all but two judges placed Weir in first place. Weir also stated, about his performance: "It was a cool feeling to be written off and then come back to show them what I am made of...I hope I shut up everyone who counted me out".


title: Johnny Weir

text: U.S. Figure Skating named Weir to the U.S. World Championships team. He came in fifth place; teammate Michael Weiss came in sixth. Weir opened his short program with a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, followed by a triple Axel and a triple flip, earning marks ranging from 5.0 to 5.7. Neither Weir or Weiss completed quadruple jumps in their free skating programs, whereas the top four placements all performed quads in theirs. It was the first time since 1994 that no American male won medals at the World Championships. Weir, however, came back from seventh place after the short program by completing eight "elegant triples" in his long program, like he had done at U.S. Nationals. His technical scores ranged from 5.3 to 5.7 and his presentation scores were as high as 5.8.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir skated in the final ISU-sanctioned competition of the season, the 2004 Marshall's World Figure Skating Challenge. coming in third place. He earned marks ranging from 5.4 to 5.7 in his technical scores, and 5.6 to 5.8 in his artistic scores, doubling one jump and stepping out of a triple Axel. He toured with Champions on Ice the summer of 2004, with Cohen, Irina Slutskaya, Elena Sokolova, and his "skating hero", Evgeni Plushenko.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir continued to train with Hill and with Tarasova in Simsbury for the 2004–2005 season. For the Grand Prix season, he was assigned the NHK Trophy in Japan and Trophee Bompard in Paris. He also competed in the Cup of Russia in Moscow, although not for points towards the Grand Prix final. He was ranked fifth-best skater in the world.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir won the NHK Trophy, his first Grand Prix title and the first time he competed under the ISU Judging System (IJS). He earned 146.20 points in the free skate and 220.25 points overall, beating his runner-up Timothy Goebel by over 20 points. Weir's trip to Japan marked the first time he came "face-to-face" with Johnny's Angels, a group of figure skating fans who supported Weir emotionally and financially. He also won Trophee Bompard with a score of 208.10 points, despite coming in second in the free skate, behind French skater and European champion Brian Joubert, who came in second place overall. Weir "skated elegantly" in his free skate, but doubled his three planned triples in the second half of his program, which hurt his technical scores. He again did not include any quadruple jumps, choosing instead to emphasize his artistry, spins, and pirouettes. Weir later said that his win in Paris "signaled my ascendancy on the international stage".


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir came in second after Plushenko at the Cup of Russia, the first time they competed against each other after the implementation of the IJS. In his "elegant" short program, Weir completed a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, but fell on his last jump, a triple flip, scoring 71.25 points. Weir opened his free skate with a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and included five other triples, but stumbled coming out of his second triple Axel and missed his triple flip late in the program. He called his performance "koshmar" (the Russian word for "nightmare"). He earned a score of 207.99 points overall. With his two Grand Prix wins, Weir became the top qualifier for the Grand Prix final, but had to withdraw because of a foot injury.


title: Johnny Weir

text: The 2005 U.S. Nationals was the last time the 6.0 system was used at a U.S. Nationals. Weir had "the heavy burden of defending a title for the first time", but he was able to control his nerves and win his second Nationals title in a row and the first repeat U.S. Nationals championship since Michael Weiss in 1999 and 2000. Although he finished slightly behind Timothy Goebel in his short program, without a quadruple jump and having a less-technical program than Goebel, he was the favorite going into the free skate. Weir earned one 6.0 in his presentation scores and his program was "full of creative spins and complicated footwork". His performance was solid but subdued; he struggled with the landings of his triple Axel and triple flip jumps. His free skate, which again did not include a quadruple jump but represented a "full range of perfectly executed triple jumps", earned him five 6.0s in presentation. He also received 5.8s and 5.9s in his technical score. Weir's scores in his free skating program were the best among the male skaters since 1988, when Brian Boitano earned eight 6.0s for presentation. Goebel finished in second place and Lysacek came in third place. Weir, along with Goebel and Lysacek, were chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2005 Worlds Championships.


title: Johnny Weir

text: At Worlds, Weir continued to struggle with his foot injury, which had given him problems all season and which prevented him from working on adding a quadruple jump to his season's free skate. He considered pulling out of the competition, but Tarsova gave him the motivation to continue despite the severe pain he was experiencing. He received two injections an hour before performing his short program. Weir fell on his opening triple Axel in his short program, but successfully completed a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, four more triple jumps, and high-quality spins. He also doubled a loop jump and singled a flip jump. Weir was placed in third, but "a human input error" during the input of Chinese skater Li Chengjiang's scores was corrected, putting Weir slightly behind Li and in seventh place after the short program. His "respectable free skate" pulled him up to fourth place. He displayed good flow throughout his free skate, which included a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, six more triple jumps, and good spins. The first half of his program was strong, with five triples in a row, but his foot pain caused him to change his circular step sequence, which resulted in a slip during the sequence and a fall during his opening triple Axel. He was not able to complete two doubles at the end of his combination jumps, despite accomplishing three previous triples. He finished in fourth place, behind "surprise bronze medalist" and teammate Evan Lysacek.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir continued to train with Hill and Tarasov for the 2005–2006 season, when he was ranked seventh-best in the world. He began the season, which reporter John Blanchette called a "minor calamity", with "a series of disappointing finishes". He was told by judges at the beginning of the season, after debuting his short program, which was designed for the new scoring system, that it was not difficult enough, so he had to rework it. A troubled personal relationship also affected his performances.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir's short program this season was based upon an interpretation of Camille Saint-Saëns' "The Swan", which was traditionally danced and skated to by women. He had been pushing to create a short program, since he began working with Tarasova. She agreed to introduce it during this Olympic season because his "naturally quiet and delicate way on the ice mirrored the mellow cello piece". "The New York Times" reported on the costume and music he chose for his short program, "a black-and-white costume that sparkled under the lights, and one red glove symbolizing the beak of a swan". He debuted the program, choreographed by Tarasova, Shanetta Folle, and Evgeni Platov, during a practice session at Skate Canada. He later reported that the initial reaction to it was laughter and that he told reporters, when they asked about the red glove, that he had named it "Camille", in honor of the piece's composer. Weir was aware of the impact it would make on the public and in the figure skating world, and that it could harm his reputation with the judges; he later stated, "Gender bending would take me into a whole new and very taboo area, where I would stand totally alone". He also stated that although people were initially uncomfortable with the program, it would become one of most his most popular programs and would "completely change the world's perception of me". His performance and swan costume were parodied in the 2007 comedy "Blades of Glory", starring Jon Heder and Will Ferrell.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In October, Weir finished in fourth place at the 2005 Campbell's Classic; he popped both of his triple Axels and earned 114.65 points. At Skate Canada also in October, Weir was in second place after the short program, but finished in seventh place, after falling on his first jump and spraining his left ankle during the free skate. He also competed at Cup of Russia a few weeks later in November, even though it was unlikely that he would make it to the Grand Prix final. Weir, "on the comeback trail", won third place overall at Cup of Russia. He missed two triples in his free skate, but placed third in the short program with 206.79 points, fourth in the free skate with 75.15 points, and earned a total of 131.64 points. In December, Weir competed in the made-for-TV skating competition Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating Challenge in Boston. He won the event, taking in 64 percent of the fans' votes, via in-stadium voting, telephone, and the internet.


title: Johnny Weir

text: At the 2006 U.S. Nationals, Weir was the first male skater to win three consecutive U.S. titles since Brian Boitano almost 20 years previously. He was in first place after the short program, again overcoming his nerves and earning a personal best score of 83.28, almost six points ahead of Weiss, who came in fourth place overall. He successfully landed four triple jumps, including his opening triple Axel and a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, as well as a flying sit spin, circular step sequence, another triple flip, and his concluding spin combination; the spectators gave him a standing ovation when he finished. He later told reporters, "For this one, they kind of sat back and had their cognac and their cigarettes and they were relaxing and watching", compared fellow competitor Ryan Bradley's faster paced choreography to "a vodka-shot-and-a-snort-of-coke kind of thing", and then said, "Uh, sorry for all those drug references".


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir's free skate was "not without flaws", so his short program carried his victory. He came in third place in the free skate after Lysacek and Savoie with 142.06 points and a total of 225.34 points. He stepped out of a triple Axel, did too many combination jumps and thus received no points for one jumping pass, and did not complete the third jump of his three-jump combination. After his win, Weir told reporters, "My mom is getting drunk already". U.S. Figure Skating reprimanded both Weir and his mother Patti Weir for his drug references and other statements made during Nationals, but he, along with Lysacek and Savoie, who came in second and third place, were selected to represent the U.S. at the 2006 Winter Olympics, all for the first time.


title: Johnny Weir

text: For the first time in his career, Weir changed his free skating program mid-season shortly before the Olympics, from "a techno medley" written by Croatian pianist Maksim Mrvica to "Otoñal" by Argentine pianist Raúl Di Blasio, which Weir used the previous season. He stated that although he had performed the program well, he was bored with it and felt it lacked passion and power. Commentator and former Olympic gold medalist Dick Button agreed, stating that the newer program "was not good enough for him". Weir's coach and mother admitted that Weir felt nervous about competing at the Olympics, and was uneasy about competing against Plushenko, but he was called "the breakthrough personality of the Games". It was the first time Weir's father John Weir, who had difficulty traveling after a disabling car accident in 1984, attended one of his son's competitions since Weir was a novice. Weir received death threats during the Olympics and received "nasty e-mails" for several months afterwards, personal attacks that "targeted his love for things Russian and even his sexual preferences". According to "Variety", Weir's habit of wearing "retro Soviet CCCP sweatshirts" instead of USA clothing during the Olympics angered many U.S. supporters.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir was the only American male in medal contention after his short program in Turin, skating "well but not brilliantly". Weir began his short program with "a smooth triple Axel" followed by the highest-scoring element in his program, a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. His next elements were a circular step sequence and a triple flip "that was lacking in crispness". His final elements were a sit spin, a straight-line step sequence, and a combination spin. He earned a personal-best score of 80.00 points, the third-highest score of the new system, and second-best behind Plushenko, who was in first place after the short program. Plushenko earned a personal-best score of 90.66, the highest short program score up to that point. Weir was ahead of the reigning world champion, Stéphane Lambiel from Switzerland, who was in third place, and the world silver medalist, Jeffrey Buttle of Canada, who was in fourth place.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir arrived late to the stadium for his free skate, blaming it on missing the bus from the athletes' village and not being told of a schedule change, which put him 90 minutes off his routine. Reporter John Crumpacker stated that Weir was "out of sorts for his long program and skated abysmally as he went from second place to fifth". He accomplished eight out of his planned 13 jumps, replaced a planned quadruple toe loop with a double Axel, and was shaky on his first triple Axel. He also downgraded another triple jump to a double, and failed to complete a three-jump combination and double-jump combination late in his program. Reporter Gwen Knapp stated, however, this his artistry was best in the field. He earned 136.63 points in his free skate, coming in fifth place, for a total of 216.63 points.


title: Johnny Weir

text: At the World Championships, Weir "did not fare so well". Plushenko chose not to compete after the Olympics, so Worlds was open for Weir, Lysacek, Lambiel, and Buttle to win the gold medal. Weir had been troubled with back pain all week, which was aggravated during the warm-up for the free skate. He successfully completed his triple Axel-triple Axel combination at the start of his program and attempted a quadruple toe jump, but he two-footed it and fell on his triple flip at the end of the program, taking him out of medal contention. He came in seventh place overall; Lambiel won the gold medal, Brian Joubert came in second, and teammate Lysacek, despite a hard fall during the warm-up, won the bronze medal. Weir toured again with Champions on Ice in-between seasons, his longest tour with them to date; he chose Frank Sinatra's "My Way", "for its obvious symbolism", as his performance number. He also appeared in an episode, in which he called "my entertainment TV debut", of "" with comedian Kathy Griffin, in which he taught Griffin how to skate.


title: Johnny Weir

text: For the 2006–2007 season, Weir began working with ice dancer Marina Anissina, who choreographed both his short program and free skate. The costume he wore for his short program, skated to "King of Chess" by Silent Nick, was described as "a black-and-white chess-themed costume that was restrained by his standards". His free skating program, in which he portrayed the life of Christ, was the weakest of the season; Weir disliked his costume and his program did not go over well with spectators and judges. He did not begin to train for the season until August 2006; illness also hampered his training. He was the eighth-highest ranked skater in the world.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir started off the season by helping the U.S. men's team come in first place at the Campbell's Skating Challenge. At Skate Canada, he won the bronze medal. He struggled completing a combination spin during his short program and told reporters that he had difficulty with his spins and that he almost tripped during his step sequence. He successfully completed a triple Axel, a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, and a triple flip, earning 76.28 points, a little over 2.5 points behind Daisuke Takahashi from Japan, who came in first place after the short program. Weir needed a clean skate in his free skate to win the gold medal, but he came in fourth place. Skating last, he put a hand down on his opening triple Axel, popped his second triple Axel, and fell out of his triple salchow. He earned 122.42 points in his free skate and 198.70 points overall.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir was in second place after the short program at Cup of Russia, less than two points behind Joubert. Weir successfully completed his jumps, but did not attempt a quadruple jump and according to the Associated Press, "generally seemed a bit slow". He came in fifth place in the free skate, with 121.38 points, over 40 points less than Joubert's free skate score, and came in second place overall, with a total score of 196.28. Weir competed at the Grand Prix Final, but had to withdraw after the short program due to an injury to his right hip from a fall. Weir later said that he was embarrassed by his withdrawal, done after "trash-talking" Lysacek for also withdrawing due to an injury. He admitted that his Grand Prix season was "disastrous" and that he had not been skating well going into the 2007 U.S. Nationals in Spokane, Washington.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Shortly before Nationals, former figure skater and analyst Mark Lund, who was openly gay, speculated about Weir's sexuality on television; Weir chalked it up to jealousy. Weir went into Nationals hoping to become the first American male since Boitano to win his fourth U.S. championships in a row. His rival Lysacek, who had beaten Weir the last three times they had competed internationally, was seeking his first Nationals title. According to Weir, both the press and U.S. Figure Skating, due to his performances during the season and at the 2006 Olympics, and despite his past successes, began to actively support Lysacek over him. As Weir said, "I couldn't outskate the negativity following me into the competition".


title: Johnny Weir

text: In the short program, both Weir and Lysacek skated clean programs and were essentially tied going into the free skate, although Weir had better footwork and Lysacek had better jumps. Weir began his short program with a successful triple Axel and a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. He had a shaky landing on his triple flip, but his circular and straight-line footwork sequences were well-done and he performed three level-four spins. Lysacek's score of 78.99 points was a slim lead of less than one point over Weir's 78.14 points. Ryan Bradley was in third place after the short program, with 73.58 points.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir was not able to successfully defend his title, coming in third overall; Lysacek came in first place, and Bradley came in second place. In the free skate, Weir skated immediately after Lysacek, whose performance made the crowd leap to their feet. Weir came in fourth place in the free skate, with 135.06 points. His triple Axel was successful, but it was supposed to be part of a two-triple jump combination. He two-footed his quadruple toe loop, doubled a planned triple-triple combination jump, popped another triple Axel combination, and later in the program, fell on a triple loop. He also popped an Axel and turned it into a single jump, but completed three more triple jumps, high-quality circular and straight-line footwork sequences, and good spins. He later admitted that the pressure of being the defending champion bothered him, and said that it was difficult skating after Lysacek, especially after hearing that Lysacek had earned over 90 points in his element scores alone. Lysacek's total score was 169.89, which was the highest score, by almost 19.5 points, earned by a male skater at the U.S. Nationals, and over 50 points more than Bradley's final score of 219.21 points. Weir also said, "Evan didn't just beat me...[h]e kicked my ass", and called his free skate "probably the most difficult performance of my career thus far". U.S. Figure Skating named all three medalists eligible to compete at 2007 Worlds and 2007 Four Continents Championships; Weir chose not to compete at Four Continents, so fourth-place finisher Jeremy Abbott went in his place.


title: Johnny Weir

text: At Worlds, Weir came in eighth place, his worst finish at Worlds in four years. He was in fourth place after the short program; he admitted that he was hampered by his nerves, had trouble adjusting to competing in Tokyo, "forgot to breathe a little bit", and said, "My costume is even tired". He earned 74.26 points. He came in 10th place in the free skate, earning 132.71 points, and earned 206.97 points overall.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Over the summer of 2007, Weir again toured with Stars on Ice. One of his performances included a combined skating routine, "Fallen Angels", skated to Handel's "Sarabande", with ice dance team Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. (He designed the costumes they wore for their free dance that season.) They came up with the idea for the routine, which was choreographed by Petukhov, on the plane trip back from the Worlds championships. At first, they received a great deal of resistance from U.S. Figure Skating, but were allowed to debut the routine at the Marshalls Showcase, a made-for-TV exhibition. The audience and commentators praised their performance, and the following week, a YouTube clip of their performance got over 100,000 views. Weir reported that people bought tickets to Stars on Ice just to see the routine in person.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir began the 2007–2008 season with "a clean slate" and was "all business". In between seasons, he amicably parted from his longtime coach Priscilla Hill, and replaced her with Galina Zmievskaya, who had coached 1992 Olympic champion Viktor Petrenko and Weir's idol Oksana Baiul. Weir hired Zmievskaya because he needed more than Hill's "nurturing approach" and that Zmievskaya's "drill sergeant-like demands for discipline and rigor" would help him grow and win championships again. He also changed his choreographer and training routine, and moved out of his family home in Newark, Delaware to an apartment in New Jersey in order to train with Zmievskaya. He told reporters that he felt homesick and nervous moving to a large city and living on his own for the first time in his life, resorting to sleeping with a kitchen knife next to his bed. He also said that the move taught him discipline and independence.


title: Johnny Weir

text: He worked on including a quadruple toe loop in his programs, and on making his triple lutz and triple flip bigger. He designed his own costumes and worked closely with his choreographers again. He worked with choreographers Faye Kitariev and Viktor Petukhov to compose a Russian rock opera based upon Svetlana Pikous' song, ""Yunona I Avos"." For his free skating program, he worked with Yoav Goren of the pop group Globus, who helped him create a routine to the group's song, "Love is War". Weir called the costume he wore for his free skating program "a sparkly onesie"; "Sports Illustrated" described it as "another of his bifurcated black and white, rhinestone-studded costumes with plunging backline". According to figure skating reporter Elvin Walker, Weir demonstrated a desire to win and a new passion for skating throughout the season, skating with an intensity he lacked in previous seasons. He was ranked seventh-best skater in the world.


title: Johnny Weir

text: At Cup of China, Weir came in second place, after Lysacek, in the short program, with 79.80 points. He did not include a quadruple jump, but completed a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination and had higher-scoring spins than Lysacek. He came in first place in the free skate, with 151.98 points and "a nearly perfect" performance. He earned 231.78 points overall, and "significantly beat" his personal best scores. Lysacek came in second place, and two-time world champion, Stéphane Lambiel from Switzerland, came in third. Weir also won the gold medal at Cup of Russia, beating Lambiel by over 11 points. He came in first place in the free skate, which was described as "somewhat business-like and more suited for the strong technicians rather than the artistic skater Weir is known to be". He opened his program with a strong triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and underrotated his triple Axel, but successfully completed five more clean triple jumps. He also completed three level-four spins and good footwork. His two Grand Prix wins made him eligible to compete at the Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy, where he came in fourth place.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Despite severe back pain, Weir felt better trained going into the U.S. Nationals than ever before. NBC reported that Weir was "more about business in both his short and long programs", skating with "usual elegance, but not his fire". Weir won the short program, with 83.40 points, 1.35 points separating he and Lysacek. Weir was one of the few skaters who completed a triple Axel during his short program, his triple lutz-triple toe loop combination was "done with ease and control". His footwork was "light and a perfect match for the music". In the free skate, even though Weir had not skated a full program in practice for almost two weeks due to his back pain, Weir and Lysacek were evenly matched in their jumps. Both two-footed their quadruple jump (Weir attempted a quadruple toe), both had similar entrances into their jumps, and both completed seven triples. Weir followed up his quadruple toe with a triple Axel-triple toe combination, a triple lutz, and a triple Axel. Weir also two-footed the landing on his triple flip, which was supposed to be part of a combination jump but was not because he eliminated a double-toe loop. He received low marks for an upright spin because he did not clearly change skating edges.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Lysacek won his second straight gold at Nationals. He and Weir tied for first place, both with a combined score of 244.77 points, but Lysacek was named the U.S. champion because following ISU regulations, he won the free skate (162.72 points to Weir's 161.37 points). It was the first tie at U.S. Nationals since the establishment of the new scoring system. Despite protests from Weir's fans and the media, including charges of homophobia, the results stood. Stephen Carriere, the 2007 World Junior champion, came in third place with 228.06 points. U.S. Figure Skating named Lysacek, Weir, and Carriere eligible to compete at the Worlds Championships.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir chose not to compete at the Four Continents Championships due to fatigue; he was replaced by Jeremy Abbott, who came in fourth place at U.S. Nationals. Lysacek withdrew from Worlds due to injury; Abbott replaced him as well. At Worlds, Weir was in second place after the short program. His triple lutz-triple toe combination was "sky high", and he performed high-quality footwork and spins. The "Chicago Tribune" said his free skate "wasn't memorable", and called it "conservative but relatively error-free". He did not include a triple-triple combination, and his quadruple jump was downgraded to a double. Weir won his first worlds medal, a bronze, with a total score of 221.84 points, and secured three slots for the American men in the 2009 Worlds championship.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir started off the 2008–2009 season, when he was ranked seventh-best in the world, struggling with skate boot problems; his blades were not aligned properly on the new skates he purchased over the summer and did not have the time to break in replacements. For the first time in his career, Weir competed at Skate America, the first Grand Prix event of the season. He came in second place in the short program by less than one point behind Lysacek, and came in second place overall, with 225.20 points. Japanese skater Takahiko Kozuka won the gold medal at the event; Lysacek came in third place overall. Both Weir and Lysacek made minor errors in their short programs, but Weir did well, even though it was early in the season. Weir began his short program with three successful jumping passes. Lysacek and Weir both scored the same on their triple lutz-triple toe loop combinations, 11.60 points, although Weir lost points on a two-footed landing on his triple flip. Weir later told reporters that he was disappointed in his spins, but his footwork sequences were "spectacular", and he scored 80.55 points.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Despite battling a cold, Weir came in second place at the NHK Trophy, earning a total of 236.18 points. In the short program, despite a fall, he placed second, with 78.15 points. He later said that he felt his performance in the short program was "a big improvement" over his performance at Skate America. In the free skate, he successfully accomplished all his jumps at the beginning of the program, but performed a double lutz instead of a triple, and his triple flip turned into a single. He qualified to compete at the Grand Prix final, where he won the bronze medal. Four days later, he was the only American to perform in a charity skating show in Seoul, performing with South Korean champion Yuna Kim; while there, he was hospitalized with the flu and lost eight pounds in one day.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir and Lysacek had dominated U.S. Nationals for the previous five years, but in 2009, Jeremy Abbott, who had won at the Grand Prix final in December, broke that dominance and won the gold medal. Weir was unprepared for Nationals because he was "compromised" by his illness. In the short program, Abbott finished in first place with 86.40 points, Lysacek was second with 83.59 points, and Weir came in seventh place with 70.76 points. Abbott's overall score was a personal best—237.72 points, four points more than both Weir and Lysacek's personal best scores. It was Weir's lowest result in the short program as a senior skater at a Nationals in his career.


title: Johnny Weir

text: After the free skate, in which Abbott earned over 13 points more than the second-place finisher Brandon Mroz, Lysacek came in third place and Weir came in fifth place, with what the Associated Press (AP) called "two dismal performances". Weir needed to excel during the free skate to win a bronze medal, but instead popped his first triple Axel, doubled his planned triple loop, and fell on his triple flip. His footwork was difficult, but as the AP also said, he "appeared to just be going through the motions with it". It was the first time since 2003 that Weir did not qualify to compete at the Worlds championship. Despite his loss, Weir was chosen as favorite skater of the year by the readers of U.S. Figure Skating's "Skating Magazine".


title: Johnny Weir

text: In June 2009, Weir's documentary "Pop Star on Ice" premiered during the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco and aired at film festivals around the U.S. In January 2010, it premiered in Manhattan and aired on the Sundance Channel, which funded its filming and production. Sundance also commissioned and aired, beginning in January 2010, an eight-episode documentary series, "Be Good Johnny Weir", which depicted the "recent ups and downs of his career". Its promotional commercial aired during the U.S. Nationals; Weir later expressed his opinion that U.S. Figure Skating sent him to the Olympics because of the documentary and series' popularity rather than on the strength of his skating performances. "Variety" called "Pop Star on Ice", which was directed by David Barba and James Pellerito and made over the course of two years on three continents, "a fascinating portrait" of Weir. "Be Good Johnny Weir" continued where "Pop Star on Ice" ended, following Weir as he attempted to earn a place on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team.


title: Johnny Weir

text: After the previous season, Weir became depressed and was ready to quit figure skating before the 2009–2010 season, but his mother talked him into continuing to compete and try to make the U.S. team for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. He began the season with "something to prove"; despite his previous season's difficulties, he was ranked eighth in the world. At the Rostelecom Cup (previously Cup of Russia), he came in fourth place overall, after placing third place in the short program and sixth place in his "error-filled" free skate, with a cumulative score of 198.55 points. He later said that his Russian fans gave him the encouragement to continue and perform better at the NHK Trophy, his next Grand Prix slot.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Despite a cold he caught on the flight to Nagano, Weir came in second place in Japan. He skated a clean short program and gave his best performance up to that point in the season, with 78.35 points. He successfully accomplished all his triple Axels in both programs. In his free skate, he "started off strong" with a triple flip jump and a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, but lost stamina. His planned triple toe loop became a double jump and he left off a double toe loop on his next two combination jumps. He earned 217.70 points overall; the gold medalist, Brian Joubert from France, earned 15 points more than Weir.


title: Johnny Weir

text: At the Grand Prix final, all six qualifiers, including Weir, had skated in at least one previous final; Golden Skate called it "one of the most equally matched fields in several years". Weir came in third place, with a total of 237.35 points. He was in fourth place in both his short program and free skate. In his free skate, he earned 152.75 points, a new personal best score.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir placed third overall at the 2010 U.S. Nationals, with 232.09 points. Sports reporter Jeré Longman of "The New York Times," who said that Weir's costume overwhelmed his skating, thought that he "seemed cautious during his jumps before relaxing with a head-bopping playfulness". Longman also called Weir's free skate "oddly passive and stumbling". Weir accomplished three clean triple jumps, but he popped his planned second triple Axel and struggled completing the final jump of his triple-triple combination jump. He came in fifth place in the free skate, but his short program, which was the third-best with 83.51 points, kept him in medal position. Weir, along with first-place finisher Jeremy Abbott and Lysacek, who came in second place, were sent to the 2010 Winter Olympics; they were considered the strongest U.S. Olympic men's team since the 1980s.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir came into the Olympics "a legitimate medal threat", although he did not anticipate winning a medal and suspected that it would mark the end of his competitive career. He stayed at the Olympic Village in Vancouver, despite wanting to stay at a hotel, for security reasons. He had received "very serious threats" from anti-fur activists for wearing fox fur trim on the left shoulder of his free skate costume during U.S. Nationals. He changed to faux fur for his costume at the Olympics, denying that it was in response to the threats, although he wore fur at a news conference for the U.S. men's team. His roommate was his "longtime friend", American ice dancer Tanith Belbin. He also held a press conference to respond to "offensive" remarks made by two Canadian sports commentators about him. A Quebec gay rights group considered filing a complaint; the commentators later apologized on-air.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir was in sixth place and earned 82.10 points after the short program; sports writer Nicholas Benton called it a "flawless program", and reported that the audience "booed lustily" when his scores were announced. He came in sixth place in the free skate, which he later admitted was technically less difficult. His technical score, 79.67 points, was over six points higher than the bronze medalist, Daisuke Takahashi from Japan, but his program component score, 77.10 points, was 7.4 points lower than Takahashi's. Golden Skate called Weir's free skate a "hauntingly beautiful routine", and reporter David Barron called it "emotional" and stated that his performance "won the crowd to his side". The program included seven solid triple jumps, including two triple Axels, and good footwork and spins. Weir earned a personal best score of 156.77 points and 238.87 points overall. The "Christian Science Monitor" reported that the audience was confused over Weir's scores in the free skate and disagreed with them. Weir finished in sixth place overall.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Although Weir was eligible to compete at the 2010 Worlds Championships, he withdrew due to a lack of training. In March 2010, CNN reported that Stars on Ice denied charges that they did not hire Weir for the year's tour because Weir was not "family friendly enough". The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination (GLAAD) launched a protest against the tour, claiming that it was "a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation", but Smucker's, the tour's biggest sponsor, said that GLAAD's information was inaccurate and that Stars on Ice did not have enough room for Weir.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir took the next two seasons off from competitive skating, focusing on his personal life, figure skating shows, a singing career, and celebrity events. He announced his withdrawal from the 2010–2011 season in July 2010, stating that he wanted to take a year "to explore and reinvent myself as an athlete and artist", although he left open the possibility to return in time for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. In early 2011, with the publication of his autobiography, "Welcome to My World", he officially came out. In June 2011, he participated in a gay pride parade for the first time, the Los Angeles Pride Parade; he also served as its grand marshal. Weir announced his withdrawal from the 2011–2012 season in June 2011, explaining that he was unable to adequately train for competition because of his “many obligations”, but expressed his intention to compete in Sochi. In January 2012, Weir married his partner Victor Voronov, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and whose family was from Russia, in a civil ceremony in New York City, five months after the state legalized same-sex marriages. In 2013, Weir began writing a weekly column in the "Falls-Church News Press", a newspaper published in the Washington, D.C. area.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In the fall of 2011, Weir began to quietly train for a possible return to competitive skating. In January 2012, he announced his return, in the hopes of competing at the Sochi Olympics; he insisted that it was not a publicity stunt, and expressed his intent to retire after the Olympics. Part of the reason for his return was his popularity in Russia. He went back to working with his previous coach, Galina Zmievskaya. and retained the same off-ice trainers, designers, and costume seamstresses as before. He used music from "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, someone he admired, for his short program; she provided him with versions of the song without lyrics. Her choreographers worked with him, but most of the choreography was developed by Weir and Zmievskaya.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir competed at small competitions and qualifying events in order to be eligible to compete at the 2013 U.S. Nationals. He competed at the 2012 Finlandia Trophy, attempting a quadruple jump in both his short program and free skate for the first time, and coming in fourth place overall. In his short program, he stumbled on his opening quadruple toe jump, which was downgraded, but successfully completed his triple Axel and triple lutz-double toe combination, and earned level-four scores for his flying camel spin. He was in fourth place after the short program, earning 69.03 points. He later told reporters that he was nervous, that his legs felt stiff, and that the competition was the hardest thing he had done in his career. He also had boot problems to overcome, but felt that he had done well. He came in sixth place in the free skate, earning 132.39 points; he earned 201.42 points overall.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir's two Grand Prix slots were the Rostelecom Cup and Trophée Bompard in Paris. At Rostelecom, he withdrew after the short program after re-aggravating his ACL, which he had injured a month earlier in practice during a fall. He made several mistakes, finished in 10th place, and decided that he was not in good enough physical condition to participate in the free skate. A few days later, he announced that he would withdraw from Trophée Bompard due to a hip injury, putting his comeback attempt on hold. He also did not compete at the 2013 U.S. Nationals, but still hoped to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2014.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir did not register for a qualifying event that would have made him eligible for the 2014 U.S. Nationals, ending his bid to compete in Sochi. He was not eligible for a bye into Nationals because he did not place in the top five at the 2013 Nationals or medaled at the 2010 Olympics or 2013 World Championships. The Associated Press conjectured that it likely marked the end of Weir's amateur figure skating career. In October 2013, he retired from competition and joined NBC as a figure skating analyst at the Sochi Olympics.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir's first coach, Priscilla Hill, unlike many figure skating coaches, was "nurturing and gentle". She became "a second mom" to him in Delaware. At the beginning of Weir's career, "all [he] wanted to do was jump; as sports writer Philip Hersh stated, jumping had always "come ridiculously easy to Weir". Hill teamed him with pairs skater Jodi Rudden the first year they worked together, to focus on other aspects of figure skating, such as edges, spinning, footwork, and artistry. He and Rudden won a few minor competitions the first two years he skated competitively. By 2005, Weir's skating skills were good enough that he did not need a quadruple jump to do well in competition, although he worked on adding it to his programs.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In 2007, he changed coaches and hired Galina Zmievskaya, whom reporter Amy Strauss called "the polar opposite" of Hill. He thought that he would benefit from Zmievskaya's "drill sergeant-like demands for discipline and rigor", as well as her Russian approach to figure skating. She also focused on improving his jumps; Hill did not tend to focus on jumps in order to avoid stressing his body. Zmievskaya made him practice his jumps over and over again, especially quadruple jumps. Before training with her, he had "a very free entrance" into his triple Axel. He relied on his natural talent and would fly into his jumps, which made them exciting for him to perform and for the audience to watch. Zmievskaya had a strict pattern for how he accomplished his jumps, no matter how much it punished his body. He admitted in 2018, however, that quadruple jumps were his "nemesis". Weir said that even though Zmievskaya was tougher than he was used to, she was also nurturing, caring for him and controlling every aspect of his life. They developed a strong bond after a few weeks of working together.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir called his style classical. He was known for being "a very lyrical skater"; Olympic champion and commentator Dick Button described Weir as "more than just a jumper but an entertaining artisan". Weir told figure skating reporter Lou Parees in 2004 that he believed that he was able to offset his technical weaknesses with his elegance. He did not think he needed to include quadruple jumps in his programs because he focused on other aspects of his skating. Parees said that Weir's landings were graceful and elegant, and that his spins were unique. At the time, Weir's secure landings earned him more points than skaters who attempted quadruple jumps and fell. He told Parees that "the softer edge" of his skating, which he did not need to practice, came naturally to him. Weir told figure skating reporter Barry Mittan in 2005 that he thought the ISU Judging System, which was implemented in 2004, benefited him because at the time, it rewarded every part of a skater's programs, especially Weir's strengths, such as "having good flow out of my jumps and having a different look on the ice”.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir told Jeré Longman of "The New York Times" after the 2010 U.S. Nationals, "My obligation has always been to bring the artistic side of my sport out. Jumps are jumps, and everybody can do those jumps. But not everybody can show something wonderful and special and unique and different". He also told Longman that he had no interest in making figure skating more "mainstream or masculine", and that figure skating had a specific audience attracted to the sport's athleticism, theatricality, elegance, and artistry. Frank Carroll, who coached Weir's rival Evan Lysacek, said that he respected Weir for knowing who he was and for not caring what others thought of him. Figure skater costume designer and Emmy-winner Jef Billings expressed his opinion that Weir's "singular personality" and "exaggerated style" might have undercut Weir's skating. Phillip Hersh stated that earlier in Weir's career, he was able to maintain a balance between his "understated elegance" and "the too-too costumes he prefers", but by 2010, "the balance has tipped toward shtick".


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir often designed his own costumes or worked extensively with his designers. At times, his costume choices caused conflicts with U.S. Figure Skating, which he called "the federation". In 2002, the first time he traveled to Russia for competition, he was told by American skating officials that he had to change both his costume, which he had designed, and hairstyle, because they found them "too unique" and "disrespectful". Weir's costumes helped him compete; like his music choices, they helped create his programs' mood and character. He stated, "I can't skate unless I feel beautiful", so he spent a lot of time on his costume, hair, and makeup. In 2014, Weir designed Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu's costume for his free skating program, worn during the Sochi Olympics. In 2018, Hanyu paid tribute to Weir with his short program, as well as to Russian champion Evgeni Plushenko in his free skating program.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir believed that his style was "a hybrid of Russian and American skating", two different approaches to figure skating. He said, in his 2011 autobiography "Welcome to My World", "With coaches from both countries, I had married the artistic with the athletic, the passion with the technique. My costumes were different and so was the way I moved my body. I was an American boy with a Russian soul, and nobody else skated like me". Weir developed a connection with Russia and with the Russian style of figure skating early in his career. His first ballet teacher in Delaware, Yuri Sergeev, was a dancer for the St. Petersburg Ballet, and he taught himself the Russian language, conversing with Zmievskaya in Russian. He also studied czarist history and wore a jacket from the "old Soviet team uniform as a good-luck charm", given to him by Russian pairs skater and Olympic gold medalist Tatiana Totmianina, during the 2006 Olympics in Turin. Weir compared his style to Russian champion Evgeni Plushenko, stating, "I think Plushenko is a very modern Russia, as it is now. I'm more from the Baryshnikov era". This aspect of his skating style often caused conflicts with U.S. Figure Skating; Weir also said that his skating style, his programs, and costumes, especially his short program and accompanying costume he wore at his first Russian Grand Prix in 2002, was considered "an affront to American skating tradition". Weir stated that his connection with Russia caused many Russian fans to "came to think of me as one of their own". Figure skating reporter Gwen Knapp called Weir "an honorary Russian".


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir's outspokenness also caused conflict between him and U.S. Figure Skating. In 2004, the federation told Hill to have Weir "tone down the skater's act" after he described the costume he wore during U.S. Nationals as "an icicle on crack". Knapp called Weir "a natural with the media—smart, witty, insightful". Steve Kelley of the "Seattle Times" called Weir "as much a world-class sportsman as he is a showman". Kelley also called Weir "refreshing" in the "increasingly uptight" sport of figure skating, someone who celebrated his outlandishness and genuineness. He also stated, "While figure skating tries to become more mainstream and looks for some love from the NFL-loving fans, while it tries to 'masculinize' its sport, it shouldn't forget about athletic showmen like Johnny Weir. He is too good and too charismatic to be ignored". The Associated Press (AP), prior to Weir's retirement in 2013, said that Weir had "always been delightfully refreshing, on and off the ice". The AP praised Weir for being one of the few figure skaters who spoke his mind, even when he knew it would get him in trouble with federation officials and judges. They also said, "His colorfulness is part of his massive appeal, and he remains one of skating's most popular figures, particularly in Japan and Russia".


title: Johnny Weir

text: The press made much of the rivalry between Weir and Evan Lysacek. E.M. Swift of "Sports Illustrated" wrote in 2007 that their rivalry was "exacerbated by Weir's increasingly outlandish behavior", citing a recent photo shoot and Weir's fashion choices at press conferences during Nationals. Nancy Armour of the AP reported during U.S. Nationals in 2007 that Lysacek and Weir had a "good rivalry" that had developed over the previous few years. For five straight years, either Weir or Lysacek won gold at U.S. Nationals, Weir in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and Lysacek in 2007 and 2008, to the point that Weir called Nationals the "Evan and Johnny show". Inevitably, Weir and Lysacek's skating styles and personalities were often compared. For example, Swift stated that even through they were evenly matched in their skating skills and abilities, they were "stylistic opposites".


title: Johnny Weir

text: Swift compared Weir and Lysacek in this way: "Lysacek is all sparks of energy, emotion and gangly strength...Weir tries to embody elegance, style and fragile grace". As for Weir and Lysacek themselves, they tended to downplay their rivalry. In 2007, the "Denver Post" reported that although Weir and Lysacek were not friends, they were friendly, complimenting each other's skating, touring together in Champions on Ice, and avoiding speaking negatively about each other. Also in 2007, Weir stated that the rivalry helped both he and Lysacek train and skate better, that it was exciting for the fans and for the skating community, and that it was good for U.S. men's figure skating. By 2010, however, their rivalry intensified after Lysacek suggested that "a lack of talent" was the reason Weir was not hired to tour with Stars on Ice. Lysacek later apologized for his remarks.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In 2021, Weir was inducted, along with professional figure skater and coach Sandy Schwomeyer Lamb and judge and official Gale Tanger, into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. The inductions were postponed until the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In October 2013, Weir retired from competition and joined NBC as a figure skating analyst at the Sochi Olympics. He chose not to support calls for boycotting the Olympics in protest of Russia's anti-gay laws, and was criticized by both anti-gay and LGBTQ activists for his position. He appeared in the 2014 EPIX documentary "To Russia with Love", which was about gay athletes in Russia and the U.S. The film, produced by Robert Redford and Sundance Productions, was filmed secretly during the Sochi Olympics and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.


title: Johnny Weir

text: At Sochi, NBC teamed Weir up with sports commentator Terry Gannon and fellow figure skater, Olympic gold medalist, and good friend Tara Lipinski, as the network's second team of figure skating commentators for their daily live broadcasts. Weir worked with Gannon during the men's events, and Lipinski worked with Gannon during the women's events. After realizing they worked well together and after recognizing their "instant chemistry", they pitched the idea of the three working together to NBC; Lipinski stated that it "was sort of meant to be". According to sports writer Tom Weir, Weir, Lipinski, and Gannon "had instant comedic harmony, with their casual chatter and humorous asides playing amazingly well against the staunch and exacting backdrop of figure skating". Tom Weir also reported that the trio had generated the 10 best weekday daytime audiences in NBC's history.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir later told "USA Today" that it was a "horrible time" of his life; he was going through "a really nasty divorce" from his husband Victor Voronov, with Voronov submitting a defamation suit against Weir and much of their disputes being reported in the New York tabloids and TMZ. Weir depended on Lipinski for support in Sochi, which helped them bond. He said that she "helped push me through work. Somehow, at the same time my life was falling apart, we were crushing it at work, and we were winning hearts across America". Weir served as Lipinski's "bridesman" at her 2017 wedding to sports producer Todd Kapostasy. Weir, Lipinski, and Gannon were promoted to NBC's primary figure skating commentators, replacing Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic, and Tom Hammond. Weir, along with Lipinski and Gannon, was an analyst at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Lipinski, Weir, and Gannon hosted the closing ceremonies in Pyeongchang, as well as for the 2020 Summer Olympics and for the 2022 Winter Olympics. They covered the 2022 Winter Olympics, this time remotely from the NBC studies in Stamford, Connecticut, where they had covered events for many years, due to the rise of COVID-19 cases internationally and China's strict COVID-19 protocols, which NBC stated made it "too challenging" to send broadcast teams to Beijing in person.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir and Lipinski were hired by NBC's "Access Hollywood" in 2014, to analyze fashion during the red carpet at the Oscars. He served as a correspondent, with Lipinski, at the Beverly Hills Dog Show in 2017 and at the National Dog Show in 2015–2019. (In 2016, Weir owned a Japanese Chin named Tema.) Weir and Lipinski worked the Kentucky Derby in 2014–2018 (as "fashion and lifestyle experts" in 2016 and focusing on "lifestyle and celebrity content" in 2018). and were event reporters for the Super Bowl pre-game show in 2015 and 2017. They were named "culture correspondents" for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Weir, a self-professed fan of the Eurovision singing competition, which he said had inspired him as a figure skater and that he had used its music in his programs, hosted and commentated the 2022 Eurovision semi-finals and finals for the streaming service Peacock in the U.S.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In 2018, the "Washington Post" reported that viewers' responses to Lipinski and Weir were mixed; some considered them "Olympic darlings–a one-stop shop for knowledge, sass and brass", while others found them "mean, obnoxious, and distracting". Scott Hamilton, who was replaced at NBC by Weir, Lipinski, and Gannon, called them a "phenomenon" and "such a breath of fresh air". "GQ" called their commentating style "a Gladwell-ian ability to demystify figure skating for the uninitiated and an extreme candor for which they've caught some heat". They tried to present figure skating in an accessible way to their viewers, keeping the more technical aspects of the sport to a minimum but emphasizing its "gossipy nuances". When they were criticized at the 2018 Olympics for being overly harsh, Weir responded, "I'm a commentator, not a ‘complimentator'", and added, "I would never be able to do my job without telling the truth about every aspect of figure skating and the performances you'll see".


title: Johnny Weir

text: Both Weir and Lipinski had "the good sense to stay silent when a skater is on an elegant and error-free roll" and Weir had "a gift for creating strong mental images with concise statements" while calling figure skating competitions. Weir cited Olympic champion and long-time analyst Dick Button as an influence in his own broadcasting style, especially Button's brutal honesty. Button told Olympic reporters, when asked what he thought about Weir's commentating style, that he thought that Weir was "very bright" and did not "overstep his bounds". Sports writer Bill Goodykoontz calls Weir and Lipinkski's enthusiasm for figure skating their "calling card". Although Goodykoontz states that Lipinski and Weir "never stop talking", they were uncharacteristically quiet while calling the short program of Kamila Valieva from the Russian Olympic Committee, who was allowed to compete despite failing a drug test prior to the 2022 Olympics. They chose to simply announce Valieva's jumps and to express their opinions that she should not have been allowed to compete afterwards. Weir later said it was "the hardest event I’ve ever had to cover".


title: Johnny Weir

text: Both Weir and Lipinski told "GQ" that they would bring dozens of suitcases to the competitions they announced, and would do their best to wear matching clothes and never the same outfit twice. By the 2018 Olympics, they brought every item of clothing they owned and would "sort it out" at the event. They also reported that they assisted Gannon with his on-air fashion choices.


title: Johnny Weir

text: Weir was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" for the 29th season, which premiered on September 14, 2020. His partner was first-time pro dancer Britt Stewart, the first Black female pro dancer on the show. They made it to the semi-finals and were the tenth couple to be eliminated.


title: Johnny Weir

text: In 2018 and 2019, Weir and Lipinski hosted and appeared in a few shows on Food Network, including two seasons of "Wedding Cake Challenge". In 2019, he and his brother Brian “Boz” Weir competed for charity on the Fox network reality show MasterChef. Also in 2019, Weir competed on season two of "The Masked Singer" as "Egg", before being eliminated in the first week. He served as the U.S. commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 on Peacock.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: Escape Plan: The Extractors is a 2019 American direct-to-video prison action thriller film directed and co-written by John Herzfeld, and a sequel to "Escape Plan" (2013) and "" (2018). It is the third and final installment in the "Escape Plan" film series. The film features Sylvester Stallone, 50 Cent, Dave Bautista and Jaime King reprising their roles from the previous films with Max Zhang, Harry Shum, Jr., Malese Jow and Devon Sawa joining the cast. The film was released straight-to-DVD in the United States on July 2, 2019, but received theatrical releases in such countries as Russia, Italy, Australia, Turkey and Portugal.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: "Escape Plan: The Extractors" received negative reviews, but was still somewhat better received than the previous film. With a smaller production budget of $3.6 million, it grossed $1.8 million theatrically in some countries and was successful in the home market, having domestically grossed $2.9 million.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: After touring factory locations in Mansfield, Ohio for her father's company, Hong Kong-based Zhang Innovations, Daya Zhang and her entourage are abducted by mercenaries despite her bodyguard and head of security Bao Yung attempting to fight them off. The kidnappers leave Yung unconscious with a USB flash drive addressed to security expert Ray Breslin.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: In Los Angeles, Breslin crosses paths with Shen Lo, a former Zhang Innovations bodyguard. Both men are after Daya's father Wu Zhang, whose company is responsible for building covert prisons around the world. They meet with Breslin's associates – his girlfriend Abigail, Hush, and Jules – when Yung arrives with the flash drive. It contains a video message from Lester Clark, Jr., Daya's kidnapper and the son of Breslin's former partner; in business with Zhang, Lester, Sr. betrayed Breslin and was sent to his death.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: Breslin reaches out to Trent DeRosa, an associate, and they trace the video to a prison compound in Latvia known as “Devil's Station”. Abigail is also abducted, and Wu, having arrived in Mansfield to meet with police, receives a video call from Lester. Seeking revenge for his father's downfall, Lester demands a $700 million ransom, and executes a hostage. Breslin, DeRosa, Jules, Shen, and Yung depart for Latvia to rescue Daya and Abigail.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: When Lester threatens the prisoners and kills a hostage, Wong, Zhang Innovations' technology analyst, agrees to give him access to Zhang's technology. Hush surveils the prison by drone, and its thermal imaging camera reveals Lester has created his own black site. Breslin infiltrates the compound through the sewers while Shen and Yung approach the outer walls. Alerted to their presence, Lester leaves Daya atop the wall as bait. Realizing Lester is leading them to a trap, Shen tries to hold position and wait for Breslin, but Yung charges recklessly ahead, and he and Shen are subdued by land mines and captured. Lester reveals the flash drive was a tracker that led his men to Abigail, and deduces that Shen and Daya are in love. He shoots Yung and taunts Breslin by video call before cutting Abigail's throat.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: Breslin proceeds through the compound, killing several of Lester's henchmen. Shen steals a guard's stun gun as he is taken to the cells, using it to start a fire; he melts his restraints and subdues the guards in the smoke. He frees Daya, but they are confronted by more guards. DeRosa arrives, killing the guards with incendiary rounds. In the ensuing chaos, Shen kills Lester's remaining henchman Silva in a hand-to-hand fight, while rescuing Wong. Trapped in a shootout with Lester in the upper cells, Breslin is wounded and disarmed, but manages to overpower Lester before slitting his throat and throwing him off the walkway, avenging Abigail.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: Returning to Mansfield, Daya coldly greets her father, now aware of the true nature of his business, before leaving with Shen. DeRosa comforts Breslin over Abigail's death, urging him to forgive himself, while at the same time perusing Breslin to join him in South America; claiming that Breslin owes him one and Breslin decides to retire.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: During the ending credits, Yung is revealed to have survived but heavily wounded. He is seen crawling and stumbling through the sewers and proceeds to escape by himself.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: drops through a central shaft from the ceiling into the tunnel sewers, just moments after Yung had already been seen arriving into that same Tunnel from a side shaft seemingly stalking Yung.


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: Development was first announced in April 2017, when Stallone said while filming "Escape Plan 2: Hades" that a third installment in this franchise was on its way. In August 2017, casting was underway for extras and speaking roles. The producers aimed for actors with MMA experience, as there would be potential fight scenes with Stallone and Bautista. Filming began on September 18, 2017, and wrapped on October 13, 2017. The film was originally titled "Escape Plan 3: Devil's Station", but by October 2018 the title had been changed to "Escape Plan: The Extractors".


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times said that "while this film is better than its predecessor" it lacks the spark of the original and "is, ultimately, just another VOD actioner."


title: Escape Plan: The Extractors

text: Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com gave it B− grade and wrote: "Herzfeld provides pleasingly mean energy, stuffing the effort with violence and anger, even managing to pull off something that's eluded the series up to this point: genuine surprise."


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a former series of mid-size or entry-level luxury coupés and convertibles produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1997 and 2010. Although its design and styling was derived from the E-Class, the mechanical underpinnings were based on the smaller C-Class, and was positioned between the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class and CL-Class. It primarily competes with the two-door BMW 3 and 6 Series, as well as the Audi A4 Cabriolet and the Maserati Coupe and its convertible variant.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: In 2010, Mercedes moved the CLK-Class designation back to the E-Class, as it had been called previously.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The first-generation C208/A208 CLK was introduced in 1997, and was based on the W202 Mercedes-Benz C-Class launched three years earlier. The W208 coupé was replaced by the W209 CLK-Class in 2002 (for the 2003 model year), although the convertible remained in production until 2003 when replaced by the C209 CLK.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The CLK introduced a new market niche for Mercedes-Benz. Although the W208 used components from the E-Class (W210), aesthetic based on the E-Class and had a specification level higher than the E-Class, it was in fact based on the less expensive C-Class (W202) platform.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: Two versions were initially available: the four-cylinder CLK 200 () and four-cylinder supercharged CLK 230 Kompressor .


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The CLK 320 Coupé was introduced in the 1997 model year, powered by a 3.2 L V6 engine. The CLK GTR FIA GT1 racing car appeared in 1998, powered by a 5.9 L V12 engine; 25 road-going CLK GTRs were made. The CLK 430 Cabriolet and the , M113 4.3 L V8-powered CLK 430 appeared in 1999. All models were available in both coupé and convertible form.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: In late 1999 for the 2000 model year, a facelift was launched which incorporated, among others, a revised instrument cluster with a bigger multifunction display, steering wheel with controls for the multifunction display and radio, Tiptronic automatic gearbox, revised bumpers and new side skirts. Wing mirror-mounted turn signals were implemented in 2001 for the 2002 year model.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: In the United States, the CLK 430 could be equipped with a "Sport Package," which gave it the external styling of the more powerful CLK 55 AMG, and equipped it with the same wheels and tires as its AMG counterpart (see section "CLK 55 AMG"). This allowed it to reach up to 0.83G's of lateral acceleration, and 66.5 mph on the slalom run.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: Since the CLK 55 AMG Cabriolet didn't officially release until 2002. In 2001 the CLK 430 Cabriolet could be equipped with all the AMG options as a special order from the AMG factory with the full 55 AMG setup, which includes the CLK 55 AMG engine and transmission, AMG suspension, AMG brakes and full set up as a factory option. Making it the first 2001 CLK 55 AMG Cabriolet. Although only a very few were built.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The high-performance CLK 55 AMG, which was introduced first in Europe in 2000, was powered by the M113 5.4 L V8 engine; the CLK 55 AMG Cabriolet was launched in 2002, the last model year of this bodystyle.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The CLK 55 AMG is powered by a hand-assembled 5.4-litre V8 engine. The hardware list includes super-stiff forged billet steel crankshaft, forged, weight-matched connecting rods and pistons, lightweight AMG-specific chain-driven single overhead camshafts V8 (one cam per cylinder bank) with two intake and one exhaust valves per cylinder, as well as 8 coil packs and 16 spark plugs (two spark plugs per cylinder). Its bore and stroke are 97mm × 92mm. The 'dual-resonance' intake manifold with tuned runners helps optimize torque and power output by taking advantage of what Mercedes calls 'resonant frequencies'. The engine has a high compression ratio of 10.5:1. These technologies help provide and of torque.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The five-speed automatic transmission (722.6) is adapted from the gearbox used in the V-12 S-class models, because that gearbox can take the torque. It is fully adaptive and electronically controlled, and is a stronger unit than that of the CLK 430. Also a larger four-bolt driveshaft that's four inches in diameter connects to a reinforced rear differential to keep all the extra power under control. Standard traction control keeps wheelspin to a minimum, while its Electronic Stability Program (ESP) keeps the CLK on its intended path.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The standard CLK chassis is used, and while the current version is not based on the new C-Class platform, the AMG version of the CLK offers some special undercarriage components. The four-wheel independent suspension is basically the same as the lesser CLK versions, but AMG fits higher-rated springs, tighter shock valving, larger diameter anti-roll bars and stiffer suspension bushings. The resulting firmer, more controlled ride is made even tighter by its high-performance ZR-rated low-profile tires. The brakes have been enhanced as well. The huge four-wheel discs are larger and thicker than the other CLKs, and the rear discs are specially vented to enhance cooling. An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is standard, while Brake Assist applies full braking force in panic stop faster than a driver could. It rides on AMG Monoblock alloy wheels, 7.5" front and 8.5" rear, shod with 225/45ZR17 and 245/40ZR17 Michelin Pilot Sport tires.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR was a V12 mid-engine race car developed for the 1997 FIA GT Championship. It shared only the instrumentation, front grille and the four headlamps with the normal CLK C208. Production of the required 25 road cars began in winter of 1998 and finished in the summer of 1999.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: A specially modified version of the CLK 55 AMG was used during the 1997 F1 season as a safety car. Which also served as the bases for the further modified version of the CLK 55 AMG race car built by AMG for the Targa Tasmania Race in 2001.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The Mercedes-Benz C209/A209 is the second generation CLK-Class, and was launched in 2002 with production starting in June. The car was available in both hardtop coupé (C209) and in soft-top convertible form (A209), with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. At introduction, a 2.6-litre V6, a 3.2-litre V6, 5.0-litre V8, 5.4-litre V8, and 2.7L inline-5 diesel engine was available. In 2010, the CLK lineup was discontinued and replaced by the C207 E-Class coupé and A207 E-Class convertible.


title: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

text: The C207/A207 E-Class was introduced as part of the new fourth-generation E-Class lineup, and was first shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. It is based on the W204 C-Class platform, but shares 60% of its parts with the E-Class sedan and wagon. In 2013, the C207/A207 received a facelift, featuring updated design changes and performance and fuel economy improvements.


title: S. Janaki

text: Sistla Janaki (born 23 April 1938) is an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer from Andhra Pradesh. She is referred to respectfully as "Janaki Amma" and Nightingale of South India. She is one of the best-known playback singers in India. She is referred to as 'Isaikkuyil' in Tamil Nadu and 'Gaana Kogile' (Singing Cuckoo) in Karnataka. She has recorded over 48,000 songs in films, albums, TV and Radio which includes solos, duets, chorus and title tracks in 17 languages including


title: S. Janaki

text: Telugu, Kannada, Tamil , Malayalam, Hindi, Sanskrit, Odia,Tulu, Urdu, Punjabi, Badaga, Bengali, Konkani and also in foreign languages such as English, Japanese, German, and Sinhala. However the highest number of songs in her career were in Kannada, followed by Malayalam.<ref name="youtube.com"/ Starting in 1957 with the Tamil film "Vidhiyin Vilayattu", her career has spanned over six decades.


title: S. Janaki

text: She has won four National Film Awards and 33 different State Film Awards. She is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore, the Kalaimamani award from Government of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Rajyotsava award from Government of Karnataka In 2013, she refused to accept Padma Bhushan, and pointed that it is too little and had come "too late" and that South Indian artists were not given their due recognition.


title: S. Janaki

text: Widely acclaimed as one of the most versatile singers, her association with singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and composer Ilaiyaraaja is most talked about. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s her duets with P. B. Srinivas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. J. Yesudas, P. Jayachandran and Dr. Rajkumar topped the charts across all the South Indian languages. She has sung in almost all the genres of songs and has performed live on stages in more than 5000 concerts across the globe. She is the only singer to have sung 100 songs in 4 South Indian languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam) in the very first year of her career. In October 2016, Janaki announced her retirement from singing for films and stage appearances. However, under pressure from the film fraternity, she made a comeback for the Tamil film "Pannadi" in 2018.


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki was born on 23 April in Pallapatla, Repalle Taluka, in Guntur, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Andhra Pradesh). Her father, Sreeramamurthy Sistla was an Ayurvedic doctor and teacher. She spent most of her childhood in Sircilla where she got her first on stage performance opportunity at the age of nine. She learnt the basics of music through a Nadaswaram vidwan Paidiswamy. However she never pursued any formal training in the classical music.


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki married V. Ramprasad in 1959. He encouraged her career and accompanied her during most of her recordings. He died in 1997 due to cardiac arrest. Their only son Murali Krishna resides in Hyderabad and


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki can fluently converse and write in 5 Indian languages – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.


title: S. Janaki

text: While in her twenties, Janaki moved to Chennai on the advice of her uncle, to work with Music composer R. Sudarsanam in AVM Studios as a singer. She started her career as a playback singer in the Tamil movie "Vidhiyin Vilayattu" in 1957. Subsequently, she performed in the Telugu film "M.L.A.". She sang film songs in 6 languages in her very first year.


title: S. Janaki

text: She picked a Malayalam lullaby "Amma Poovinum" from "10 Kalpanakal" as her swansong of her 60-year singing career and retired on 28 October 2017 with a concert held at Mysuru .


title: S. Janaki

text: S Janaki's highest number of songs are in Kannada. Her solos and duets, with P B Srinivas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Dr. Rajkumar are considered evergreen.


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki sang her first Kannada song in 1957. By the early 60s, she had started working with many prominent music composers. Throughout the 1970s and 80s she remained the number one female playback singer in Kannada films. Most of the music directors, from G. K. Venkatesh, Rajan–Nagendra to Hamsalekha, gave her most of their top compositions.


title: S. Janaki

text: She has a record number of duets with P B Srinivas, S P Balasubrahmanyam and Dr Rajkumar. She was awarded the Karnataka Rajyotsava awarded in 2014. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore for her contributions to Kannada film and music.


title: S. Janaki

text: S Janaki and Malayalam songs are inseparable, she sang her first Malayalam song back in 1957. She practiced the correct accent and the nuances of the language which later made her one of the most sought after singers in the industry. She was the favorite of many popular music composers like V Dakshinamoorthi, MS Baburaj, Shyam, MB Sreenivasan, A.T.Ummer, and Salil Choudhary.


title: S. Janaki

text: S Janaki went on to sing thousands of songs from early 1960s to mid 80s. She received her first Kerala state film award for best singer in 1970 and went on to win the same almost every year for the next 15 years. It was her command over the language and perfect diction that took her to great heights in Malayalam films. S Janaki is perhaps the only non-Malayali artist who has won maximum awards in Malayalam films.


title: S. Janaki

text: S Janaki sang her first Tamil song in 1957. The song "Singaravelane Deva" from the movie "Konjum Salangai" brought her to limelight in Tamil films. M. S. Viswanathan gave her many hit songs every year throughout 60s and early 70s. It was the song "Unnidathil ennaik kodutthen" Avalukendru Or Manam (1971) that consolidated her position as the most promising singer thereafter.


title: S. Janaki

text: She sang many songs under many famous composers. Ilaiyaraaja – S. P. Balasubrahmanyam- S Janaki combination gave hit after hit from mid 1970s till 1990s. S Janaki is the only singer who has won state awards under the oft-called top three music composers of the state (M. S. Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraaja and A. R. Rahman).


title: S. Janaki

text: S Janaki started her career in Telugu films in 1957. Movies like "Bava maradalu", "Pooja Phalam" and "Bangaru Panjaram" had songs by S Janaki which were immensely popular. She gave continuous hits throughout 1960s and 70s. She continued to give hits till mid 90s. S Janaki has won 12 Nandi awards, 10 for films and 2 for television serial songs.A few of her solos are:


title: S. Janaki

text: Composer Bappi Lahiri was impressed by a Hindi song sung by S Janaki for a Tamil movie, when he visited Prasad Studio. He decided to have songs sung by her in his upcoming Hindi movies and introduced her to Bollywood. She sang many duets with singer Kishore Kumar.


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki sang many evergreen songs in Odia. She has sung about 68 songs in Odia films. Her songs are still popular today and she also won 1 Orissa State Film Award.


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki has worked with music directors of different generations. From the early 1960s she was given songs by composers mainly in Kannada and Malayalam films.Though she sang fewer songs in Telugu and Tamil during the beginning of her career she went on to rule the playback industry across all four south Indian languages from mid 1970s.


title: S. Janaki

text: He started composing for more films from early 1960s and went on to give some remarkable songs to Janaki. GKV-SJ-PBS combination was the talk of the town those days.


title: S. Janaki

text: Two songs which need special mention from this combination are "nambide ninna naadhadevate" from Sandhya Raga and "Karedaru kelade" from Sanaadi Appanna: both became very popular.


title: S. Janaki

text: Dr. Rajkumar, who had begun his acting career in 1950s, got to sing his first duet with S. Janaki – "Tumbitu Manavaa" – for the film "Mahishasura Mardini" in which he played the villain.


title: S. Janaki

text: He collaborated with S. Janaki for many films, including Edakallu Guddada Mele ("Sanyasi Sanyasi") directed by Puttanna Kanagal. Ranga Rao composed memorable duets sung by Dr. Rajkumar and S. Janaki for "Vasanta Geeta", "Hosabelaku" and "Samayada Gombe".


title: S. Janaki

text: For Hosabelaku, Ranga Rao composed a melodious tune for a poem by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu "Teredide Mane O Baa Atithi" and S. Janaki sung this along with another legendary singer Vani Jayaram.


title: S. Janaki

text: The earliest recognised collaboration of S Janaki's was with the Malayalam composer MS Baburaj, who specialised in Hindustani music. Under his direction, Janaki was able to give voice to some of Kerala's best loved film songs of all time during the 1960s and early 1970s. The songs they've worked on have been known for their outward expressions, both in voice and the composition by itself. Some of Janaki's best known solos come from this collaboration, including "Vasantha Panchami Naalil" (Bhargavi Nilayam), "Anjana Kannezhuthi" (Thacholi Othenan), and "Thaane Thirinjum Marinjum" (Ambalapravu).


title: S. Janaki

text: Ilaiyaraaja knew about Janaki's vocal range and versatility when he worked with G. K. Venkatesh. When he got a chance to compose music for his debut film Annakkili (1976) he made Janaki sing 3 songs which became immensely popular thus beginning an era in Tamil cinema. This combination churned out hits after hits pushing S Janaki to the numero uno position for at least the next 2 decades. S Janaki won 4 state awards in Tamil in his compositions. He explored her voice in wide variety of songs and she became the first choice for songs with village background.


title: S. Janaki

text: She sang maximum duets with Balasubrahmanyam, Malaysia Vasudevan, Mano, Yesudas, Jayachandran. Ilayaraaja himself sang around 200 duets with Janaki; most were chart busters. After Ilaiyaraaja started giving more songs to S. Janaki, even other music composers followed by making her sing their top hits.


title: S. Janaki

text: SPB-IR-SJ created some of the finest duets of Tamil cinemas. 1980s saw the meteoric rise of Janaki with a strong back up from Ilayaraja, as she sang his songs in all four South Indian languages.


title: S. Janaki

text: Rajan and Nagendra have a unique place in the hearts of Kannada music lovers. S Janaki was a part of almost all their albums. During the initial days, RN gave many duets to PBS-SJ. Later their main singers were SPB and S Janaki. Almost all of their songs remain etched as the unforgettable melodies of Kannada Cinema. The romantic duets that came out from the SPB-S Janaki-Rajan–Nagendra combination are considered to be heavenly and evergreen. Radios called the pair of SPB and S Janaki as "Love Birds" and are termed to be the "Best singing pair" in Kannada cinema, owing mainly to their romantic duets composed by Rajan–Nagendra in the 1970s and 80s In terms of numbers, it was Rajan–Nagendra who gave maximum songs to Janaki after Ilaiyaraaja.


title: S. Janaki

text: The solos and duets that S Janaki rendered under these music composers can never be erased from the minds of the Kannada audience. Some top hit songs came from movies such as Eradu Kanasu, Hombisilu, Gaali Maathu, Pavana Ganga, Avala Hejje, Chandana Gombe, Naa Ninna Bidalare and the list continues.


title: S. Janaki

text: By the end of 80s Hamsalekha established himself as the top music composer in Kannada cinema pushing all the veteran composers to the background. His strong association with actor Ravichandran resulted in so many hit songs. S Janaki was his first choice during the initial days of his career. SPB-SJ-HL created some of the evergreen duets in movies like Premaloka and Ranadheera. S Janaki worked in more than 40 films with Hamsalekha and sang all-time hit solos and duets.


title: S. Janaki

text: Kannada cinema offered SJ real gems of her singing career and Vijaya Bhaskar is no exception. Though his main singers were P Susheela in 60s and Vani Jayaram and Chitra in 70s and 80s, he gave some of his best compositions to S Janaki in movies like Gejje Pooje, Bellimoda, Upasane, Seetha (1970 film); he chose her whenever the song needed some special singing. "Gaganavu ello bhoomiyu ello" remains one of the most memorable songs of S Janaki. If we take the top 10 songs of S Janaki in Kannada cinema there would definitely be at least 2 songs composed by Bhaskar.


title: S. Janaki

text: During the '90s, Janaki sang many great Tamil songs for A. R. Rahman at the early stage of his career. Songs like "Ottagatha Kattiko", "Gopala Gopala", "Nenjinele", "Kadhal Kaditham Theetave", "Mudhalvane", "Kathirika", "Endhan Nenjil", "Margazhi Thinkal" and many are still popular. She won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback for "Margazhi Thinkal Allava" from the film Sangamam under his composition.


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki and voice modulation is synonymous. She has done a wide range of voice modulation according to the age of the character in all four South Indian languages. She is perhaps the only singer who won state awards for the same. Tamil Nadu state award for "Poda poda pokka" song from Uthiripookkal (1978) and Andhra Pradesh State award for "Govullu tellana" song from Saptapadi (1981 film). Songs she sang in kids-voice in 70s in Kannada too were popular, one such song is "Thayiya thandeya" from the film Madhura Sangama(1978). She sang many such songs for 3 year old, young boy, goatish voice, male voice and voice of aged woman. She sung more than 48000+ songs across all languages.


title: S. Janaki

text: Janaki says that the toughest song of her singing career is the fastest swaras Kannada song "Shiva shiva ennada naaligeyeke" from the movie "Hemavathi (film)". The song, which is in two different ragas, "Thodi" and "Aabhogi", was composed by L. Vaidyanathan.


title: Telugu people

text: Telugu people (), or Telugus, or Telugu vaaru, are the largest of the four major Dravidian ethnolinguistic groups in terms of population. Telugus are native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the Yanam district of Puducherry. A significant number of Telugus also reside in the surrounding Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, and Odisha, as well in the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Telugus claim descent from the Andhras, from whom the Telugus inherit their ethnonym. Telugu is the fourth most spoken language in India and the 15th most spoken language in the world.


title: Telugu people

text: Andhra was mentioned in the Sanskrit epics such as Aitareya Brahmana (by some estimates c. 800 BCE). According to Aitareya Brahmana of the Rigveda, the Andhras left North India from the banks of river Yamuna and migrated to South India. They are mentioned at the time of the death of the Mauryan King Ashoka in 232 BC. This date has been considered to be the beginning of the Andhra historical record. During the rise of Nastika Schools of Buddhism and Jainism in the region, Telugus, along with most of India, saw a reformation of their traditional high society. Mahayana Buddhism, which would later go on to become the largest Buddhist tradition in the world, developed among Telugus in Andhra.


title: Telugu people

text: Telangani, a term referring to a Telugu or a resident in the land inhabited by Telugus came into common usage during the 14th century CE. The Telugu diaspora has a global presence, especially in the United States, Myanmar, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, and Canada, among other countries of the Anglosphere. In 16th Century, Italian traveller named Niccolo De Conti visited the Vijaya Nagara Empire. During this trip, he found that the words in Telugu Language ends with vowels just like Italian Language and he referred Telugu as the Italian of the East.


title: Telugu people

text: Andhra () was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was a southern kingdom, currently identified as Indian state of Andhra Pradesh where it got its name from.


title: Telugu people

text: Andhra communities are also mentioned in the Vayu and Matsya Purana. In the Mahabharata the infantry of Satyaki was composed by a tribe called "Andhras", known for their long hair, tall stature, sweet language, and mighty prowess. They lived along the banks of the Godavari river. Andhras and Kalingas supported the Kauravas during the Mahabharata war. Sahadeva defeated the kingdoms of Pandya, Andhra, Kalinga, Dravida, Odra and Chera while performing the Rajasuya yajna. Buddhist references to Andhras are also found.


title: Telugu people

text: Andhra was mentioned in the Sanskrit epics such as Aitareya Brahmana (by some estimates c. 800 BCE). According to Aitareya Brahmana of the Rigveda, the Andhras left North India from the banks of river Yamuna and migrated to South India. They are mentioned at the time of the death of the great Mauryan King Ashoka in 232 BC. This date has been considered to be the beginning of the Andhra historical record. Various dynasties have ruled the area, including the Andhra (or Satavahana), Andhra Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas, the Kakatiyas, the Vijayanagara Empire.


title: Telugu people

text: Telugu is a South-Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, where it is the official language. The oldest inscriptions with Telugu words date to 400 B.C.E found at Bhattiprolu in Guntur district. Other early inscriptions with more refined language were found in Kantamanenivarigudem, Guntupalli in West Godavari district and Gummadidurru and Ghantasala in Krishna district. The earliest inscription completely written in Telugu dates to 575 CE were found at Kalamalla village in Kadapa district. The earliest Telugu literature dates to 11th century CE with Nannaya's Andhra Mahabharatam.


title: Telugu people

text: In the sixth century BCE, Assaka was one of the Sixteen Mahajanapadas. After the Mauryas, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana were variously ruled by dynasties either ethnically Telugus. It was succeeded by the Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE-220 CE), who built the city of Amaravati. The kingdom reached its zenith under Gautamiputra Satakarni. At the end of the period, the Telugu region was divided into Kingdoms ruled by lords. In the late second century CE, the Andhra Ikshvakus ruled the eastern region along the Krishna River. The Vishnukundina Dynasty, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiya Dynasty and Reddy dynasty were some of the many Major Telugu Kingdoms and Dynasties Ruling the Region.


title: Telugu people

text: During the fourth century, the Pallava dynasty extended their rule from southern Andhra Pradesh to Tamilakam and established their capital at Kanchipuram. Their power increased during the reigns of Mahendravarman I (571–630) and Narasimhavarman I (630–668). The Pallavas dominated the southern Telugu-speaking region and northern Tamilakam until the end of the ninth century.


title: Telugu people

text: Between 1163 and 1323 the Kakatiya dynasty emerged, bringing the Telugu region under unified rule. During this period, the Telugu language emerged as a literary medium with the writings of Tikkana, Eranna, Nannaya, Pothana etc., are the converters of the great Hindu epics like Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bhagavatha etc..


title: Telugu people

text: In 1323 the sultan of Delhi, Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, sent a large army commanded by Ulugh Khan (later, as Muhammad bin Tughluq, the Delhi sultan) to conquer the Telugu region and lay siege to Warangal. The fall of the Kakatiya dynasty led to an era with competing influences from the Turkic kingdoms of Delhi, the Chalukya Chola dynasty (1070–1279) in the south and the Persio-Tajik sultanate of central India. The struggle for Andhra ended with the victory of the Musunuri Nayaks over the Turkic Delhi Sultanate.


title: Telugu people

text: The Telugu achieved independence under Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646). The Qutb Shahi dynasty of the Bahmani Sultanate succeeded that empire. The Qutub Shahis were tolerant of Telugu culture from the early 16th to the end of the 17th centuries.