New Johnny Weir Interview

[jennylovskt]

How candid that Marina's interview was! Somehow I believed a lot of things Marina said. Johnny is enjoying so much the "rock star" treatment he received in Russia. He said that in his recent journal. But I am afraid that if he doesn't live up to that expectation, his rock star status will soon fade away.

 

[emma]

I wouldn't be surprised if Joe is right about Weir and personal problems...but i want to add TOO. I have no idea in any real sense, but I just had the feeling even last year that Johnny needed different training - that he was brilliant but something was missing that would give him power especially when nerves set in.

Anyway - for whatever reasons ( and of course, i wish to know them...) he just wasn't last year to get his LP down and sell it - and I kind of thought it was promising and different and a great contrast to the swan; and that to me was a shame. And that program needed power so that's where I get this speculative idea from....

And i just feel that problem is still present, even more so this year and with these programs, which by the way, I like a lot.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

"but at the moment he is out of shape, physically"

This seems to back up my theory that it is something that is not skating related but definitely affecting his skating.

Anissina seems to be a very devoted choreographer, and likes Johnny very much. I think he should stick with her because she tries to understand him. Another choreorapher may not.

BTW - I did like Johnny's 'new' style and I think it is up to him to decide which would be most comfortable in Tokyo.

Joe

 

[Spun Silver]

Why would a coach say things like this in public about one of her current athletes? This kind of "honesty" is totally destructive, IMO.

He should stay with Priscilla Hill. He did great things with her. I think MA is bad news.

ETA: I was thrown off by Joe referring to MA as a "devoted coach." Just checked his website and PH is still Johnny's coach (thank God). But my point stands. Choreographer, friend, advisor, whatever - public criticism is no way to befriend or help someone you claim to support, let alone someone you're getting paid by.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

SS - I think I mixed up coach and choreographer. To my knowledge Priscilla is still his coach. Anissina is/was his choreographer. Thanks SS. I will edit my post.

Joe

 

[Zanzibar]

Why would a coach say things like this in public about one of her current athletes? This kind of "honesty" is totally destructive, IMO.[/I]

I believe she was trying to 'cover her *ss' because Johnny didn't do so well in Russia, and then withdrew. In particular, her phrase about him already being 'given so much credit' really makes it sound just like what she's saying: that he owes the world because of the 'credit' or goodwill he's been already shown...not that it was deserved. The first time I read that interview in December I found her comments rather ill conceived, and still do.

 

[dwiggin3]

From a Russian skating page:
http://fsnews.ru/page-id-303.html

-He's leaning toward going back to his own/old skating style next season.

-It sounds like his less than stellar skates this season have really gotten him down. And he sounds very tired from the post-Olympic season as well as depressed by COP and the sacrifices he's had to make.

C'mon, Johnny, take a couple days off and come back fighting! Go, Johnny!!!

I'm interested in knowing what exactly IS the issue/tension between JW and EL? Aside from being very competitive, what's the issue? I don't expect them to be best friends and laughing, like when Kwan and Slute were competing, but interviews, neither one of them seemed to want to ripe the others face off....so what's the deal...did something happen? :scratch: :scratch:

 

[Vodka Shot]

I don't like Marina's Choreo. and I didn't right from the start. The moment I saw it I knew this season would be a giant burning mess. Marina may be right that he isn't in the best shape or at least wasn't when she did that interview and personally I don't think he trains enough....BUT....some credit for this season must be given to her for the choreo which imo never worked right for him. It's dance choreo imo not singles choreo. Johnny should have listened to Tarasova when she told him Marina wasn't ready to choreo on her own for singles.

The seasons nearly over so there's no use crying over spilled milk. What's done is done. I just hope he learned form this season. And I hope for TT done pieces next season.

 

[1cmarie]

I'm interested in knowing what exactly IS the issue/tension between JW and EL? Aside from being very competitive, what's the issue? I don't expect them to be best friends and laughing, like when Kwan and Slute were competing, but interviews, neither one of them seemed to want to ripe the others face off....so what's the deal...did something happen? :scratch: :scratch:

I don't think there is any true rivalry. According to both Johnny and Evan, they get along fine (their apparent nicknames for each other are 'swan' and 'mongoose'). What we're seeing is media hype at its best (e.g., they're supposed 'rivalry' off the ice).

As for Marina, if I were Johnny, I'd feel pretty betrayed right now. As if she has never fallen/injured herself during a competition? I guess to some people, the gold is everything (?)

 

[Hsuhs]

So far we have:

- Hadn't much time for preparation
- Nobody looked fit at SC
- Nerves / Pressure
- Russian jet lag

I'm glad it's not the pilates.

I'd add then Marina Anissina, the betrayer.

 

[seafoam]

I think all the stuff MA says about how he needed to "reinvent" himself is pure malarkey. What he needs are good programs (which, imo, he didn't have this year. Or at least not good for *him*) and to be prepared to skate them well.

Why was there so much emphasis on changing his style? I don't totally buy into the "if you never change you never grow" stuff. With his old style, even after CoP, when he skated well he was scored well. He might have needed to increase the difficulty to keep up with the other top men, but that didn't necessitate a total makeover. I'm inclined to believe that this line of reasoning is at least partly responsible for his demonstrable lack of confidence this season. As Paul Wylie pointed out at one of the GP comps, compared to previous seasons, he's like a completely different skater--not at all confident.

ITA with layman's first post in this thread, as well.

 

[Dee4707]

The below quote was taken from the US Figure Skating magazine of which Johnny is on the cover and featured in the magazine.

Instead of doing the same romantic style of skating, why not try a more athletic approach? Anissina believed a new style might help revitalize his love for the sport.

It was a change and a challenge, both of which sounded seductive to Weir.

I wanted to show a different side of me, and I wanted to sort of shed my image of the swan from last year, and do something different. I don’t think my programs are totally way off in right field like if I’d gone from doing the dying swan to dueling banjos. It’s not that drastic of a change. It’s not very delicate and like a porcelain doll. It’s more bull in a china shop.

It seems like Marina took a big chance trying to change his skating style. Not quite sure why she would do that. It almost seems like he was sold a bill of goods. Too bad, I loved his swan program and style.

Dee

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

The below quote was taken from the US Figure Skating magazine of which Johnny is on the cover and featured in the magazine.




It seems like Marina took a big chance trying to change his skating style. Not quite sure why she would do that. It almost seems like he was sold a bill of goods. Too bad, I loved his swan program and style.

Dee

You see, I believe Johnny can be versatile. Others don't. the only male skater I see as versatile is Lambiel. Vivaldi and Flamenco - that's versatility.

Joe

 

[Ausrick]

These speculations, and they are reasonable about Johnny, fail to address that there may well be a personal non related skating reason for his lack of 'spark' in recent competitions.
...
I believe Johnny has had a personal problem(s) and that it has affected his focus on competitions.

You've been positing this vague hypothesis for close to a year now Joe, and despite all Johnny's quite wonderful personal journals and revealing interviews, in which he has covered ALL the bases as far as I can see, you're still as vague as you were a year ago ?

Let me summarise then, and I base this totally on what he has said, and he's an admirably honest guy ..

1. Vicious personal attacks after the Olympics.
2. Changes in choreographers/style.
3. Injuries.
4. Unwise (possibly?) self-promotion as regards his future in fashion etc
5. Personal relationship break-up (see his Journals).

I don't want to second guess you Joe, but I wish you would really say what you think and then be challenged for it rather than constantly, nebulously, hinting at these 'personal problems' of his.

For what it's worth, my opinion is that the relationship break-up that has so devasted him was with a guy, okay? In itself that is utterly unimportant, but the possibility that this MAY have been the case with so much scrutiny on him at the time could well explain why it would have such an effect on him.

I repeat, far be it from me to second guess a 'Forum Diplomat' such as yourself but please, how about leaving these gossip-like (but legally-safe !) inferences of yours to the rag-mags, and just say what you really believe. Any chance of that ?

And just in case there's any question on my position, Johnny Weir is far and away the best figure skater I've ever seen (internet available clips of anyway)

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Ausrick. I have no idea what is bugging Johnny, and yes, I could be wrong. It's just speculation. His lackluster competitions may just be a 'January Thaw' so to speak. He just has to pull himself together. Hopefully he will.

At the same time, one could wonder what happened to Plushenko at the Olys. His bland performance was not his usual show off style. Could we wonder now that the marital problems which were unknown at the time, were bugging him? I think so. I'm hopeful that he is moving on.

Do you ever think about a favorite skater who, for whatever reasons, loses a competition, that the fan will blame the coach, the choreographer, the wrong music, the boots, etc. Blame anything, but the favorite skater, who simply was not at his/her best that day/night.

Joe

 

[emma]

I don't like Marina's Choreo. and I didn't right from the start. The moment I saw it I knew this season would be a giant burning mess. Marina may be right that he isn't in the best shape or at least wasn't when she did that interview and personally I don't think he trains enough....BUT....some credit for this season must be given to her for the choreo which imo never worked right for him. It's dance choreo imo not singles choreo. Johnny should have listened to Tarasova when she told him Marina wasn't ready to choreo on her own for singles.

.

I think this is an interesting post - I simply don't know enough about choreo to evaluate it but I think it is interesting that you see these pieces as more dance oriented.

I will just add this: Johnny couldn't skate his LP last year either, and the big question for me is, why? And that one was a TT one. I know he had problems with the way it was recieved and had to change things, and this made him very upset - but I just think there was something more. Maybe, it was a versatility issue - so maybe he should stick to one style. I really don't know. But the version of Tat's LP from last year that we saw and this years - while different - remind of each other and both, imo, require a kind of Yagudin, or plushy, or joubert like power to be done well and sold to the audience.

 

[momjudi]

I had no problem with Johnny's short program this year (and I've said so many times). Johnny skated it reasonably well but his free skate has been a mess the past two seasons. I don't know if he has a mental block involving the free skate because the quad needs to be in it or if his body no longer allows him to skate the four minutes without becoming stressed. Johnny has said he only trains three hours a day because his body will not allow him to do more, but he has not said what exactly would happen if he did skate more then three hours a day. He does pilates twice a week which according to an article I read this week exercises every part of the body including cardio.

Marina was not ready to choreograph for an elite singles skater. She did an ice dancing program with jumps placed in non jump friendly spots. The low technical and presentation scores showed that. Johnny should have changed his free skate program after Skate Canada.

I am encouraged when Johnny said this season changed the way he looks at his training. I want him to stay with Priscilla, I think she is a good influence on him but I hope touring with Marina this summer won't make him feel obligated to use her again for his programs.

 

[Spun Silver]

Is there an economic reason for him to keep using Marina - connected to his Russian fan base, maybe? Just wondering.

 

[jennylovskt]

Marina was not ready to choreograph for an elite singles skater. She did an ice dancing program with jumps placed in non jump friendly spots. The low technical and presentation scores showed that. Johnny should have changed his free skate program after Skate Canada.

How did you know that? This is true speculation. Johnny has his coach Priscilla Hill. She knows exactly what Johnny should do. If Marina's choreography has such big and obvious problems such as misplacement of the jumps, it should have been corrected in the early season or even before any competition begins.

Johnny didn't have enough practice time, so he left out a lot of the elements and steps. That was the reason to the low technical and presentation scores.

 

[jennylovskt]

Is there an economic reason for him to keep using Marina - connected to his Russian fan base, maybe? Just wondering.

Yes, there was. Johnny said it in the interview with KB.