The New York Times-20080125-A Rejuvenated Weir Hopes for a Fresh Start

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A Rejuvenated Weir Hopes for a Fresh Start

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The tug of the rest of his life, and a future beyond figure skating, nagged at Johnny Weir late in 2006. Criticized for his outspokenness, his lifestyle, his affinity for all things Russian, and for frittering away a chance at a medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics, Weir dreaded the prospect of another skating season. Every morning, he said he questioned whether he wanted to continue.

Last year, I wasn't prepared at all, Weir said Thursday morning at the United States Figure Skating Championships.

I was not inspired to train. I did not really want to come to the nationals. It was just something that I had to do to keep my standing. I completely didn't expect to win last year. I was just kind of here and going through the motions.

It showed. An uninspired Weir, the three-time defending men's champion, fell to third in Spokane, Wash., behind Evan Lysacek and Ryan Bradley. And his subsequent eighth-place finish at the world championships was his worst as a senior skater. Weir's career was clearly headed in the wrong direction.

So he made some changes. He arrived here with a new coach, a shorter haircut, a more focused approach, and an improved quadruple toe loop he plans to use in his free skate. The men's competition begins Friday night with the short program. If Lysacek beats Weir again, it won't be because Weir isn't into it.

Last year was just ridiculous, Weir said. I couldn't get up for it for anything. But this year, I'm trained. I feel prepared and happy. That's the biggest thing. I got here and I was excited to be here.

In the women's short program Thursday night, 14-year-old Mirai Nagasu's spirited skate to George Gershwin's I Got Rhythm propelled her into first place with a 70.23 total. Nagasu scored big on a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination to finish ahead of 16-year-old Ashley Wagner (65.15), 15-year-old Rachael Flatt (62.91), and the defending champion Kimmie Meissner (57.58). Katrina Hacker, a New Yorker who skates out of Boston, was fifth (56.87). The free skate is Saturday night.

Meissner fell on a triple flip but held the lead until Nagasu's technically superior performance drew big marks and a standing ovation.

I was really excited, said Nagasu, last year's national junior champion and world silver medalist. The crowd was really into it. It was pure fun out there, pure fun. That's what I came here to do, and I just want to continue doing it.

Weir, 23, felt beaten down after his Olympic fiasco in Turin, Italy. Second after the short program, Weir misunderstood the bus schedule the day of the free skate. He grabbed a cab in a panic, arrived at the arena much later than he planned, then skated a sloppy program, omitting a quad and fumbling two triples. He ended up fifth, and his numerous critics piled on.

It was a very tough time for me after the Olympics, Weir said. There was a lot of bad media, bad press from, not fans, but the opposite of fans. It was just very difficult mentally.

Before this season, Weir split from his longtime coach Priscilla Hill to train in Wayne, N.J., with Galina Zmievskaya, a stern Ukrainian who coached the 1992 Olympic and world champion Viktor Petrenko. Now, Weir says he is better prepared to take on Lysacek, the 22-year-old who felt obligated to put quads into his programs. Lysacek considers quads the new signature of American figure skating, replacing the 6.0 perfect score under the old judging system.

Anytime I meet someone and tell them I'm a skater, even if people see me on the street, all they know is the quad, Lysacek said. I think it's important to represent that and not back down from it.

Weir added a quad this season because, he said, It's just time. Whether I stand up or fall down, it's time to put it in the program.