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eustaciavye77Since the Olympics the entire planet is covered with Adam Rippon's face, he's being touted as a gay icon, an icon for all, his "give no fucks" attitude is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm really enjoying it but as a long time skating fan I'm also feeling angry and sad. Why? Because I remember Johnny Weir's career and I remember how badly he was treated for being the same kind of person.
In 2004 Johnny won his first national title. He repeated that 3 times in a row. He was top 5 in two world championships. But he was also outspoken and flamboyant and covered in glitter. So, despite his success and promise, by the 2006 olympics all anyone knew about was that he was "controversial" and "inappropriate." He was, on paper, a far more successful skater than Adam Rippon has ever been.And YET the USFSA who is in charge of all figure skating in the US did their damndest to bury him. He won a bronze medal at the world championships in 2008 but somehow that didn't remotely matter in 2009; he was sick at nationals, did poorly because he'd just gotten out of the hospital, and they declined to place him on the world team. Let me repeat, the same association that placed Ashley Wagner on the 2014 olympic team despite a 4th place finish at nationals and no real international success, the same association that placed Rippon himself on the 2018 olympic team despite a 4th place finish at nationals and only moderate international success, that same association declined to put a skater who had medaled at the world's the previous year on their world team? Why? Because Johnny Weir wasn't the image the USFSA wanted to present. US Figure Skating threw the full power of it's influence between Evan Lysacek. Evan rarely spoke to the press. Evan never wore glitter. Evan never smiled. Evan had a girlfriend. Evan was manly and straight. Johnny was not. Heading into 2010 no one expected Johnny to make the olympic team, despite his considerable talent and the fact that he was still performing consistently. US Figure skating wanted him to be seen as a has been and they made that happen but somehow he made the team. In fact, he made the finals at the olympics and all of us who were watching know that he should have challenged for the bronze medal. Instead he finished 6th behind two far worse performances. Afterwards judges and officials were heard saying that they hadn't expected him to do that well or they would have pushed for him to be higher up, but why? Two years earlier he'd been number 3 in the world! (the fact that the judging is so fucked up that officials can promote the winners they want to the judges and get their way is it's own many year long rant.)
After his competitive career was over Johnny was able to talk more about how he was treated by US Figure skating. (He wrote about it some in his memoir) Knowing what I now know it makes so much sense that he was never quite able to achieve what EVERYONE expected him to achieve when he appeared on the scene. How is someone supposed to focus and put their best foot forward when they are being psychologically abused by the organization that is meant to support their efforts? How do you succeed when you know the people who should be backing you want you to fail?
In the end Johnny is doing ok for himself. He still skates in performances (though not often in the US; he gets booked on tours in other countries but somehow here he isn't wanted.). He announces all the figure skating broadcasts on NBC. He has a podcast and promotional deals. But what he never got was a fair shot at the skating career he deserved and the accolades that go with it.
None of this is to take away from what Adam Rippon has done. When I say that Johnny Weir was ranked higher in the world, understand that the difference between number 5 and number 10 at their level is miniscule. I don't mean to undermine Adam's talent and I'm thrilled he's getting what he is due for being a great athlete and an entertaining person, even more so because he's immediately grabbing it and using it to make the world better for queer teens. I just wish that US figure skating had gotten it to together to see what an asset someone like that could be 14 years earlier.
In 2004 Johnny won his first national title. He repeated that 3 times in a row. He was top 5 in two world championships. But he was also outspoken and flamboyant and covered in glitter. So, despite his success and promise, by the 2006 olympics all anyone knew about was that he was "controversial" and "inappropriate." He was, on paper, a far more successful skater than Adam Rippon has ever been.And YET the USFSA who is in charge of all figure skating in the US did their damndest to bury him. He won a bronze medal at the world championships in 2008 but somehow that didn't remotely matter in 2009; he was sick at nationals, did poorly because he'd just gotten out of the hospital, and they declined to place him on the world team. Let me repeat, the same association that placed Ashley Wagner on the 2014 olympic team despite a 4th place finish at nationals and no real international success, the same association that placed Rippon himself on the 2018 olympic team despite a 4th place finish at nationals and only moderate international success, that same association declined to put a skater who had medaled at the world's the previous year on their world team? Why? Because Johnny Weir wasn't the image the USFSA wanted to present. US Figure Skating threw the full power of it's influence between Evan Lysacek. Evan rarely spoke to the press. Evan never wore glitter. Evan never smiled. Evan had a girlfriend. Evan was manly and straight. Johnny was not. Heading into 2010 no one expected Johnny to make the olympic team, despite his considerable talent and the fact that he was still performing consistently. US Figure skating wanted him to be seen as a has been and they made that happen but somehow he made the team. In fact, he made the finals at the olympics and all of us who were watching know that he should have challenged for the bronze medal. Instead he finished 6th behind two far worse performances. Afterwards judges and officials were heard saying that they hadn't expected him to do that well or they would have pushed for him to be higher up, but why? Two years earlier he'd been number 3 in the world! (the fact that the judging is so fucked up that officials can promote the winners they want to the judges and get their way is it's own many year long rant.)
After his competitive career was over Johnny was able to talk more about how he was treated by US Figure skating. (He wrote about it some in his memoir) Knowing what I now know it makes so much sense that he was never quite able to achieve what EVERYONE expected him to achieve when he appeared on the scene. How is someone supposed to focus and put their best foot forward when they are being psychologically abused by the organization that is meant to support their efforts? How do you succeed when you know the people who should be backing you want you to fail?
In the end Johnny is doing ok for himself. He still skates in performances (though not often in the US; he gets booked on tours in other countries but somehow here he isn't wanted.). He announces all the figure skating broadcasts on NBC. He has a podcast and promotional deals. But what he never got was a fair shot at the skating career he deserved and the accolades that go with it.
None of this is to take away from what Adam Rippon has done. When I say that Johnny Weir was ranked higher in the world, understand that the difference between number 5 and number 10 at their level is miniscule. I don't mean to undermine Adam's talent and I'm thrilled he's getting what he is due for being a great athlete and an entertaining person, even more so because he's immediately grabbing it and using it to make the world better for queer teens. I just wish that US figure skating had gotten it to together to see what an asset someone like that could be 14 years earlier.
no subject
Date: 2018-03-12 03:19 am (UTC)So much word.