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- The haters have lost, they and all their floods of hate mail and death threats that flowed from the 2006 Olympics. The uncompromising Johnny Weir, on the verge of the culmination of his competitive career, has won. Among the world's best male skaters, Weir exhibits the most fluid poetry of motion, consciously elevating the sport's artistic elements over its purely athletic ones. But there has also been a powerful, tenacious, true grit that accounts for his success.
The 2006 Olympics marked the first time the wider world of sports enthusiasts encountered him, and many did not take kindly to his flamboyant, outspoken manner. Thus, when he didn't win a medal, the floodgates of hate issued forth. Not only Weir's perseverance, but a change in the mood of the country – reflected in the 2008 election – accounts for the fact that he's now seen as less freaking people out, and more entertaining and enlightening them with his wit and unapologetic uniqueness.
By simply being himself in such an open and high-profile way, he creates space for countless others to venture out with their own special individuality, and in doing this, he is making his best contribution of all. (en)
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