Did Johnny Weir get punished for wearing a Russian jacket during competition?

exNyer

Member
Messages
47
He was at an international competition and was wearing this jacket during official practice. Gifted(??) to him. Being a fan of all things Russian he said. He has always said that the USFSA was not supportive of him but that glorified middle finger to the group that he represented should have had repercussions. Could anyone imagine what would happen to an athlete from another country would did the same?
 

MsZem

I see the sea
Messages
18,459

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,985
He was at an international competition and was wearing this jacket during official practice. Gifted(??) to him.
2006 Olympics article by Gwen Knapp:
The 21-year-old has taught himself the Russian language, studied czarist history and publicly worn a red sweatsuit jacket from the old Soviet team uniform as a good-luck charm. Tatiana Totmianina, a pairs skater who won the Olympic gold medal Monday night, gave the jacket to Weir as a birthday gift. He had become an honorary Russian...
 
Last edited:

Cherub721

YEAH!
Messages
17,855
He was at an international competition and was wearing this jacket during official practice. Gifted(??) to him. Being a fan of all things Russian he said. He has always said that the USFSA was not supportive of him but that glorified middle finger to the group that he represented should have had repercussions. Could anyone imagine what would happen to an athlete from another country would did the same?

Yagudin wore a Canada jacket and AFAIK, nothing was done to him.
 

meggonzo

Banned Member
Messages
8,593
He got some flak for it from some people, but it's not an official offense of any type. Of course, he didn't get in trouble for it. Skaters wear jackets and other memorabilia that is given to them by skaters from other countries all the time.
He talks about it on his show. Every time he wore the coat, the US officials would tell him or Priscilla to take it off. Of course, it's not an official offense, but USFS was not happy about it behind the scenes.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
Messages
58,281
He talks about it on his show. Every time he wore the coat, the US officials would tell him or Priscilla to take it off. Of course, it's not an official offense, but USFS was not happy about it behind the scenes.
Not just behind the scenes either.

It was completely stupid on their part IMO.
 

VGThuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
41,020
I kind of found it disrespectful since he was representing the US, but it wasn’t just the fact that he wore a foreign jacket that got me but a Soviet Union one. It’s like when I see young people who are undereducated wearing a Che Guevara shirt. I get the Soviet Union was more than one person, but at the same time, I don’t blame people if they were angry about it. There are people on this forum who they themselves or families emigrated from the Soviet Union and still have bad memories from it.
 

BittyBug

Disgusted
Messages
26,612
It was a fashion jacket that was popular at the time. My husband had one (still has it, actually).

USFS had it in for Johnny because he wouldn't bend to their ways. They want pablum for the masses so that little Suzy's parents won't get offended, and that's not Johnny. Meanwhile, they're busy looking the other way while skaters are abused.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
Messages
58,281
I kind of found it disrespectful since he was representing the US,
But this kind of jacket exchange was and is completely common. It's part of the whole "athletics brings people from all over the world together" sort of thing that the Olympics and other international events are supposed to be about.
 

Aerobicidal

Shut that door.
Messages
11,148
I think VGThuy was specifically talking about it being a USSR jacket rather than a Russian one. Cultural exchange through athletes is great, but doesn't need to involve oppressive regimes that don't exist anymore.

It would be kind of like if I wanted to show my love for Slovenian culture by wearing a Tito hoodie (this is a very rough analogy).

To answer the original post, I believe that if any other athlete had done with Johnny did, they would have been immediately sentenced to forty years in the slammer.
 

BittyBug

Disgusted
Messages
26,612
I think VGThuy was specifically talking about it being a USSR jacket rather than a Russian one.
Except it wasn't an official USSR jacket. It was a fashion jacket - sort of like Members Only back in the day. My husband's version is made by Blue Marlin. In China.

Here's one on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/i/193506203968...1291&msclkid=16db8f718fa91e3080f5d0cf7ee5f74e

I believe that Tatiana Totmianina gave it to him, but remember she was training in the U.S. at the time. She probably got it at Kohl's or someplace similar.
 

Aerobicidal

Shut that door.
Messages
11,148
Except it wasn't an official USSR jacket. It was a fashion jacket - sort of like Members Only back in the day. My husband's version is made by Blue Marlin. In China.

Here's one on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/i/193506203968...1291&msclkid=16db8f718fa91e3080f5d0cf7ee5f74e

I believe that Tatiana Totmianina gave it to him, but remember she was training in the U.S. at the time. She probably got it at Kohl's or someplace similar.
Whether or not the jacket was official is irrelevant to me, but I have no horse in this race. I only wanted to clarify a separate point and make a joke.
 

BittyBug

Disgusted
Messages
26,612
FWIW, many Russians who were alive when the Soviet Union existed still have quite a favorable view of the Soviet Union. At least the ones I know.
 

VGThuy

Well-Known Member
Messages
41,020
And FWIW many don’t. So I can’t control how others react to it if they have their own issues with a CCCP jacket. Like I said, to me, it’s like seeing a kid wearing a Che Guevara jacket. But I guess this thread can return to Johnny Weir the victim and only a victim again, not unlike those who were political prisoners under the CCCP regime. But it’s fashion, so it’s ok.
 

misskarne

Handy Emergency Backup Mode
Messages
23,456
The USFS undoubtedly disapproved of Weir from a homopobia perspective. I don't doubt that at all.

However, Weir also brought some of it on himself. The fed was clearly unimpressed by the occasions on which he faked injury or illness. Then he had the audacity to demand a medical bye because of the illness he contracted when flying to the other side of the world for a show right before Nationals, which USFS had made clear they didn't want him to go to. And he threw a strop when the bye was refused.
 

meggonzo

Banned Member
Messages
8,593
Sometimes it's difficult to fault skaters for taking up the opportunity to skate in shows and make money.

I didn't even remember that he asked for a bye.
 

Lemonade20

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
Messages
2,379
Hell
I think VGThuy was specifically talking about it being a USSR jacket rather than a Russian one. Cultural exchange through athletes is great, but doesn't need to involve oppressive regimes that don't exist anymore.

It would be kind of like if I wanted to show my love for Slovenian culture by wearing a Tito hoodie (this is a very rough analogy).

To answer the original post, I believe that if any other athlete had done with Johnny did, they would have been immediately sentenced to forty years in the slammer.
Hello fellow Slovenian! Tito is a good analogy when you put it that way. I adore Johnny and I appreciate that he stays true to himself.
 

misskarne

Handy Emergency Backup Mode
Messages
23,456
Sometimes it's difficult to fault skaters for taking up the opportunity to skate in shows and make money.

I didn't even remember that he asked for a bye.
I agree, but two weeks before US Nationals, when the show is on the other side of the world, seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

As usual, the damning evidence is all in his book, though of course he presents it as yet another occasion when big bad USFS wronged him.
 

MsZem

I see the sea
Messages
18,459
However, Weir also brought some of it on himself. The fed was clearly unimpressed by the occasions on which he faked injury or illness. Then he had the audacity to demand a medical bye because of the illness he contracted when flying to the other side of the world for a show right before Nationals, which USFS had made clear they didn't want him to go to. And he threw a strop when the bye was refused.
What are these occasions (plural)? I've heard of one.

I believe the year Weir asked for a bye was 2009, after finishing on the podium at the previous Worlds and at the 2008-9 GPF. He got sick while in Korea for Yuna Kim's show in December 2008, which was not "right before Nationals." Sometimes it takes people time to recover from a particularly nasty flu.

Anyway it is very exciting to be litigating Johnny Weir's skating career so long after it ended!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information