John Garvin "Johnny" Weir-Voronov (born July 2, 1984) is an American figure skater. He is the 2008 World bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2001 World Junior Champion, and a three-time U.S. national champion (2004–2006). Weir married Victor Voronov – a 28-year-old Georgetown Law graduate of Russian Jewish descent – in a December 2011 civil ceremony on New Year's Eve in New York City. Weir said, the "wedding [will be] in the summer, but all the official stuff is done now!" Weir's representative said, "The couple has taken the new surname, Weir-Voronov, but professionally, Johnny will continue to be known as Johnny Weir."

Weir was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, to John and Patti Weir. He is of Norwegian heritage. He has a brother, Brian, who is four years younger. Weir was raised in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, a town in southern Lancaster County. As a child, he was a successful equestrian, competing with his pony, My Blue Shadow, an Arabian-Shetland cross.

Soon after Weir began skating at the age of 12, his family moved to Newark, Delaware so he could be near his training rink and coach. In the summer of 2007, he moved to Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and began training in nearby Wayne. Weir was an honor roll student at Newark High School and studied linguistics part-time at the University of Delaware before dropping out to concentrate on his skating. He is a self-proclaimed Russophile who admires the skating style and culture of Russia and taught himself to speak and read the language. He also speaks some French.

In July 2008, the United States Figure Skating Association and Skating Magazine announced Weir as the winner of the 2008 Reader's Choice Award for Skater of the Year, an annual trophy voted upon by skating fans and awarded to the American skater or skating team whose achievements were of the highest merit in the previous season. In 2010, Weir won this award again.

Weir has two pet chihuahuas named Bon-Bon and Vanya, and is a collector of Russian Cheburashka memorabilia. He has an interest in fashion design and, in addition to designing some of his own skating costumes, has designed ice dancing costumes for Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov, show costumes for Oksana Baiul and Yuzuru Hanyu's costume for his free program of 2010-2011 season.


Johnny Weir is an American figure skater. He is the 2008 World bronze medalist, a 2time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2001 World Junior Champion, and a 3time U.S. national champion (2004–2006). Weir married Victor Voronov, a Georgetown Law graduate of Russian Jewish descent – in 2011 civil ceremony on New Year's Eve in New York City. Weir said, the "wedding [will be] in the summer, but all the official stuff is done now!" The couple has taken the new surname, Weir-Voronov.





He is Roman Catholic and open to other belief systems, including practicing Kabbalah, stating, "I believe in anything good, and anything that can teach love".

During the 2010 Olympics two Canadian broadcasters commented on Weir's flamboyant demeanor, made derogatory comments of his sexuality, and questioned his gender.

Weir's sexual orientation was long the subject of media speculation; however, when asked about his sexuality, Weir responded "...it's not part of my sport and it's private. I can sleep with whomever I choose and it doesn't affect what I'm doing on the ice." In his memoir Welcome to My World, published January 2011, Weir officially came out as gay, citing a string of gay youth suicides as one reason for his decision: "With people killing themselves and being scared into the closet, I hope that even just one person can gain strength from my story."

In 2010 a main-belt asteroid, discovered in 1995 by T. V. Kryachko, was officially named after the skater, at the suggestion of his Russian fans.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Weir

Further Readings:

Welcome to My World by Johnny Weir
Publisher Gallery Books; 1st Edition edition (January 11, 2011)
Language English
ISBN-10 1451610289
ASIN B00509CPWW
Amazon: Welcome to My World
Amazon Kindle: Welcome to My World

In a memoir as candid and unconventional as Johnny Weir himself, the three-time U.S. National Champion figure skater who electrified the 2010 Winter Olympics shares his glamorous, gritty, heartbreaking, hopeful, and just plain fabulous life story. How does a boy from rural Pennsylvania become an all-American original style icon on the ice and off, adored by fans around the world, and hailed as “The Lady Gaga of skating” (Salon.com)? The answers are here, in his invigorating and thoroughly entertaining chronicle of the emergence of his natural talents for skating and horseback riding; the physically and emotionally grinding path to becoming a champion; a family who sacrificed everything to support his passions; an ability to rise again after the most devastating defeats and never look back; an appreciation of style (from his mom) and self-discipline (that would be from his dad); and a fearless confidence to say whatever’s on his mind.

Because when you’re Johnny Weir, you don’t worry about what other people think. You let everyone else worry about that for you.

Welcome to his world.

More LGBT Couples at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Real Life Romance

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