Johnny Weir's Withdrawal at 03 Nationals

[essence_of_soy]

Too bad he withdrew. I really liked his Cirque Du Soleil short and his Dr Zhivago free skate.

[museksk8r]

Too bad he withdrew. I really liked his Cirque Du Soleil short and his Dr Zhivago free skate.

Yes, I preferred early Johnny too from the 2006 Olympic cycle! He didn't seem himself in the 2010 Olympic cycle and his programs were not as strong as early on in his career. JMO.

[psycho]

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/07/sk...e=home_oneline
Johnny explains his POV on this issue, and Keauna agrees with him

[orbitz]

. I had mono during my first Olympics. I've been carried by four Korean doctors to the middle of the ice, did a number and threw up the whole way to and from.

If this was true then why the public hasn't heard about it until now? I mean if an athlete was "carried by four Korean doctors to the middle of the ice", don't you think the picture and story would be all over the news the next day since it was the Olympic ?

[attyfan]

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/07/sk...e=home_oneline
Johnny explains his POV on this issue, and Keauna agrees with him

IMO, these comments are cruel and unwarranted. Brandon is ill now ... I wonder if Johnny would have liked it if someone made the same comments about him right when he was in pain after 2003 Nats (as opposed to a more theoretical comment made at a later date). Also, skating is not the main job of the show celebs, so to hold them to the same standard given to professional skaters is simply unrealistic, if not stupid.

[sk9tingfan]

If this was true then why the public hasn't heard about it until now? I mean if an athlete was "carried by four Korean doctors to the middle of the ice", don't you think the picture and story would be all over the news the next day since it was the Olympic ?

That latter statement about 4 Korean doctors did not concern his 2006 Olympic experience. it was about his December performance in Korea about 2 years ago, when he got so sick he needed IV fluids to combat dehydration. About mononucleosis during the Olympics; that is also true. Johnny was feeling tired all the time prior to the Olympics, but a definitive diagnosis did not occur until he got home to the US. By that time, it was water under the bridge.

[danceronice]

Not to mention, question of hypocrisy aside, Brandon's not only not a "real" skater, he's a very beginner skater who would have been expected to LIFT A GIRL while not feeling well. We're talking putting not just Brandon's health and safety at risk but Keauna's. Maybe some of the "pro" guys are strong enough skaters they could have the flu and not risk dropping their partner, but is that a chance Brandon or the show wanted to take?

[Rex]

If this was true then why the public hasn't heard about it until now? I mean if an athlete was "carried by four Korean doctors to the middle of the ice", don't you think the picture and story would be all over the news the next day since it was the Olympic ?

This is the first time I've heard of it myself. I know his foot was messed up at Worlds in Moscow, but when was he this sick?

[igniculus]

If this was true then why the public hasn't heard about it until now? I mean if an athlete was "carried by four Korean doctors to the middle of the ice", don't you think the picture and story would be all over the news the next day since it was the Olympic ?

About the Korean doctors, here is a pic that was featured on Ice Network when that issue happened. And one from his Cyworld.

This is the first time I've heard of it myself. I know his foot was messed up at Worlds in Moscow, but when was he this sick?

2008 December, at Kim Yeona's Angels on Ice show, shortly before 2009 Nationals (where he skated disastrous due to loosing training time of the sickness).

[Rex]

Not to mention, question of hypocrisy aside, Brandon's not only not a "real" skater, he's a very beginner skater who would have been expected to LIFT A GIRL while not feeling well. We're talking putting not just Brandon's health and safety at risk but Keauna's. Maybe some of the "pro" guys are strong enough skaters they could have the flu and not risk dropping their partner, but is that a chance Brandon or the show wanted to take?

Agreed. You articulated it way better than I ever could have. Thanks.

[Snowgirl]

"If you're required to perform, you perform," - that works not only in FS, but in show business as well. All stars should be aware of this. That's one of the unwritten rules for the performers. Of course, those celebrities are not skating pros, but nothing near pro level is required from them. By the way, Brooke and Rebecca skated with injuries the same day, it was kinda unfair to them to let Brandon be judged by rehearsal tape.
As for risk of dropping the partner - come on, people, they fall multiple times in practices and no one gives a damn.

[Rex]

Maybe what Brandon has is contagious?

[danceronice]

"If you're required to perform, you perform," - that works not only in FS, but in show business as well. All stars should be aware of this. That's one of the unwritten rules for the performers. Of course, those celebrities are not skating pros, but nothing near pro level is required from them. By the way, Brooke and Rebecca skated with injuries the same day, it was kinda unfair to them to let Brandon be judged by rehearsal tape.
As for risk of dropping the partner - come on, people, they fall multiple times in practices and no one gives a damn.

And if they'd sliced tendons they probably wouldn't be skating either, though again--the girl is not doing the lifting. Injured hand =/= compromised balance and perception. Look what happens when ACTUAL skaters go wrong. (T/M at Skate America, anyone? And all he did was slip a bit.) The show is going to care if they have a live-on-camera severe head or neck trauma.

"The show must go on" makes a nice sound bite, but it's not something reasonable medical professionals pay any attention to. They even have a DWTS precedent--back injury, unable to perform, judge the tape.

[REO]

I read that Brandon had food poisoning. Hence the host's comment about puke on the ice which was nauseating in itself. lol I kinda agree with danceroice. This isn't the Olympics. I don't think the kid should have had to compete if he was really really sick especially since there was the option of judging the rehearsal tape. Then again he is contractually obligated. I guess no one can judge how bad off he was unless they were there. It just seems that since Keauna was all suited up and waiting, he was better and was considering competing but then wussed out. So who knows what the reality was.

[museksk8r]

Johnny is serving the Simon Cowell role in this show; it's to be expected that his comments are going to be laced with bitchery and create controversy. It's hilarious that so many are taking this show so seriously.

[Mafke]

I think the 2003 meltdown had a lot to do with inexperience. As I recall he started skating at a pretty late age (for an international elite skater).

In other words he had a few less years less experience with competition than other skaters his age. Learning how to compete is just as important (and hard) as learning the elements...

[danceronice]

Johnny is serving the Simon Cowell role in this show; it's to be expected that his comments are going to be laced with bitchery and create controversy. It's hilarious that so many are taking this show so seriously.

There's bitchery but Johnny really should have thought about that one, given his own track record. He had to KNOW what people were going to bring up.

And oddly, he's more like Len. (Besides the middle seat.) He seems to mostly do the reasoned, informed critique. Then there's cloudcuckoolander Dick on one side (as a less-perverted Bruno) and Whasserface about one massive crying jag away from being Carrie Anne.

And if it was food poisoning, I hope he can practice well. That is not a fun feeling. If you [general you] have not experienced it: you throw up everything you have eaten for ever or at least you feel like it, and in the case I had there was a fever and splitting headache. Forget skating, I was lying on my bathroom floor because I was afraid I wouldn't make it the twenty feet across my apartment. I really would not want to see someone on live TV trying to hold themselves together (though I have heard vomit, like blood, bounces on ice, I'm not that curious.)

[psycho]

There's bitchery but Johnny really should have thought about that one, given his own track record. He had to KNOW what people were going to bring up.

His track record is that he has competed countless times while sick and injured. Just off the top of my head: SC 2006, Worlds 2005, 2006, Nationals 2008, NHK 2008, 2009, not to mention he has walked the walk in the EXACT SAME situation as Brandon's at the Korean X-mas charity show. You might think his POV is stupid/unwise/mean, but the fact remains, he holds himself to the same standard he holds Brandon.

Acting like the his Dallas performance ( not the same situation but let's pretend for argument's sake) is a sign of hypocrisy is not even a good argument: did Johnny ever claim that it was a proud moment? No. He has always been embarrassed by it. Did he tell Brandon skaters don't withdraw? No. He said if you want top marks, you ignore doctor's orders and push through. Brandon didn't show up and didn't get top marks. He still scored higher than some people who did show up. In skating, if you don't show up you don't get scores at all.

[jlai]

There's a Johnny story today:

Figure skater Johnny Weir not competing, but spotlight still finds him


http://www.freep.com/article/2010120...#ixzz17aDH5ZmJ

[Susan M]

Well, let's just put this into context.

ITA, and the two instances are not really in the same context at all. In Johnny's case 03 Nationals was a sporting event. In sports, injured athletes can sometimes "tough it out" but sometimes they have to withdraw from the game. SWTS is a television show and comes not so much under the rules of the athletic field but under the mores of television and theater (where "the show must go on.")