More from the Mook: Judging Johnny

Ohio flashback:

This fan video of Johnny's Bad Romance

from last weekend's Skate for the Heart

is the only recording of this performance that I know of!

Very special thanks to Karen Spangler Burke for sharing it here.

Love the fans screaming and singing along!

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And this is the closing number from Skate for the Heart.

Not enough Johnny (is there ever?),
but we'll take what we can get!

Thanks to YouTube user "meeblemeep" for this one.

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Friday Flashback: Today we present more of the gentle and sensitive interview of Johnny in the Mook Book by gifted sports journalist Akiko Tamura. In part 2 of this three-part series, Johnny discusses Evan's gold medal as well as figure-skating judge Joe Inman, who sent out the infamous email prior to the Olympics regarding remarks made by Evgeni Plushenko about scoring (more background here, where I learned that Evan NOT being marked down for a wrong-edge takeoff--even though Johnny was--may have been the difference between silver and gold for Plushenko).

It's more tough going for Johnny fans--I didn't even know about the scoring at 2010 Nationals!--but the insights into the intrigue of figure-skating judging are fascinating (albeit appalling to a figure-skating outsider like me ... ).

With many thanks to our translator, the fabulous Akiko Nakata, here is Part 2 of the final series from the Mook.

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From the "Special Interview with Johnny Weir," by Akiko Tamura, conducted in NYC, April 2010, pp. 25-27 of the Mook.

Johnny answered my questions during breaks between shooting the photos for this book in collaboration with M.A.C.


Olympics, USA and Judges

Speaking of rivals: The rivalry between you and Evan Lysacek has been the object of people's attention for many years. What do you think about his becoming the gold medalist?
As a matter of fact, I didn't know he performed so well at the Olympics. While Plushenko was skating, I was talking in the mix zone and certain that he would win. So when the scores were on the monitor and I knew Evan had won, I was shocked. I don't mean anything bad by that--I was simply astonished. I don’t know Evan very well as a person, so I cannot comment on whether or not he is suitable for a gold medal, but he is an excellent athlete who practices really eagerly. If you asked me whether or not I had expected him to be a gold medalist someday, my answer would be no. Nonetheless, he became an Olympic champion. I can only say that he was really good at following the rules of the game to win American judges and officials over to his side. After the Olympics, I knew that I had finished sixth due to the scores given by American and Canadian judges. While the Asian, Russian, and Eastern European judges scored me much better, the North American judges' points lowered my place. I am never diplomatic in order to be liked by judges. In that sense, Evan was very good at the political game.

Will you tell me what you feel about American judge Joe Inman and the email he sent?
The US had done many things to put themselves in an advantageous position before the Olympics, but it was not so obvious until then. His email announced to the world that the US was playing the political game as enthusiastically as any other country. Though I never supported his opinion or policy, at the Olympics I had to represent the same country as he does, and I could have been regarded as the same kind of person he is. I felt really uncomfortable with that. It is said that the US skaters profited from the fact that he officially criticized the abilities of Plushenko and Joubert, but that was not true regarding me. That's because the USFSA pushed Evan and Jeremy Abbott, but not me. I lost respect for Inman as a judge, and I consider the case shameful both for the American people and press.
 
Do you think that his email influenced the results?

I could say so, for at last Plushenko lost and an American skater won. I thought Plushenko's five components were extremely harshly scored. That was not the case with Joubert, who did not perform well. Inman sent the email to insiders, saying that Plushenko was not such a good skater. There may have been some judges who said to themselves, "I thought the same," and who might then have decided that they would score him differently than before. Inman surely planted a negative impression in the minds of some insiders.


Johnny acknowledges
the crowd at the end
of his free skate
at Nationals, January 2010.

At the 2010 Nationals, Inman scored you unimaginably harshly.
Yes, he scored my components at a three-point level. I was so surprised that I asked an association official about it, and I was told that it was Inman's score. A judge should not give a three-point mark to one of the best skaters of his own country right before the Olympics. For example, very high scores were given to some skaters at the Japan Nationals. That means they announced to the world that those Japanese skaters were so excellent that they received really high scores. These days, even if the foreign national competitions are not broadcast, you can watch them on YouTube or other sites, and those who saw their performances and their scores would be impressed and say, "Wow! Those Japanese skaters are awesome!" Such tactics are very important for figure skating. On the other hand, the US was sending a skater of three-point level to the Olympics. What kind of impression did that give people around the world who follow figure skating?

Did you officially protest him?
No, that wasn't my place. But I expressed my opinion clearly through the media. Also, Galina talked about my scores at Nationals in a long interview on Russian TV.

Why do you think he scored you so harshly?
I think he meant to show his power. He is from the East Coast and has been judging me for a long time. I assume he wanted to show off how important he was--so important that he could hurt my image at his will. Some judges abuse their official power. I'm not the only skater Inman scored extremely low. Some other skaters experienced the same.

Do you think there was something in your performance that deserved such scores?

No, I don’t think my performance was so bad as to be given such terrible points.

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And after reading that, all I can say is: I think we are in desperate need of more products from the fine folks at Cold-EEZE. Like, oh, say, this one:

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Yes! You can own a fine art print of Johnnyperfect for any/every room in the house! Prints of artist Peter Jurik's "Showtime!" are available for purchase from his website.More info here!

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Johnny is skating at the
ITNY 25th Anniversary Gala Benefit and Performance
honoring Olympic Champion Dorothy Hamill
on Monday, October 25!
Buy tickets here; more info here!

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Please remember to register to receivethe JW Art Project's email newsletter!
They have great tidbits to offer,
and you get a special sneak peek at an exclusive photo
from the Artbook when you sign up!

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Special holiday offer!
In exchange for a donation to Toys for Tots,
Trish Aaron-Misiura will send you one handmade,
Johnny-inspired Christmas ornament! More info here!

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Coming up: Part 3 of the final series
of translated interviews from the Mook Book
courtesy of the fabulous Akiko Nakata!

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copyright 2010 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved