Olympian Johnny Weir on Wednesday
announced his retirement from professional skating.
According to the AP, Weir will continue
to skate in shows but he will no longer compete.
The three-time U.S. figure skating
champion will switch careers to broadcasting, joining NBC for its
coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
“I am outlandish and flamboyant and
all those things,” Weir
said. “There was a focus on all that in my career, which I am
fine with, but there also was little attention paid to how hard I
actually worked and how much went into it and how I came back so many
times. Sweating every day for that one moment, and I wish people
focused on that as much as my characters and my costumes. I wouldn't
be Johnny Weir if I wasn't giving everything all the time.”
“Hopefully, I can use my words
properly and talk intelligently. I'm excited for the journey.”
Weir came out gay in his 2010 memoir
Welcome to My World and married his husband Victor Voronov in
New York the following year.
Last month came news that Weir would
not skate at the Sochi Games.
He repeatedly said that his goal was to
take part in a Russian Olympics.
“I have always cheered for all
Russian skaters and I will cheer for all Russians when I am there in
Sochi,” he said. “I'm sad I can't compete, but I can be there
and be a part of the moments that will get created at this beautiful
Olympics.”
Weir added that ending his career in
Sochi “would have been very storybook.”