Friday, March 29

Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir kept quiet during Kamila Valieva’s skate


Their silence spoke volumes.

Typically NBC’s Olympic skating analysts Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir never stop talking. Their enthusiasm for the sport they both excelled in is their calling card — each triple axle described as a miracle of science, grace and beauty. It’s either infectious or annoying, depending on your point of view. But it’s usually non-stop.

Tuesday, however, when Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva performed after failing a pre-Olympics drug test, they were uncharacteristically quiet. Don’t misunderstand — this wasn’t Vin Scully letting the action speak for itself during a Los Angeles Dodgers game. This was a statement.

Lipinski and Weir simply noted Valieva’s jumps from time to time, and their silence made the event unusually tense, even for such a high-pressure forum.

It was fascinating TV.

Announcers Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski talk during the women's free skate program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit in 2019.

While Gannon treads a middle ground, Lipinski and Weir did not

When Valieva was done, she broke down in tears. Weir said, simply, “All I can feel like I can say is that was the short program of Kamila Valieva at the Olympics.”

If you’ve watched any skating in the last few years, you know what a shock that is.

Beforehand Lipinski said, “I don’t know how many times over the past year I’ve said that she is the best figure skater I’ve ever seen, and just saying that now not only makes me confused, but it makes me angry, and again, I’m disoriented by everything that I thought I knew.”



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