Release courtesy of U.S. Figure Skating
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – U.S. Figure Skating and SKATING magazine announced today that 2010 U.S. bronze medalist Johnny Weir has won the 2010 Readers’ Choice Award for Skater of the Year (Michelle Kwan Trophy). Weir also won the award in 2008.
“I am honored to win the Readers’ Choice Award for the second time in my career,” Weir said. “I gave my all to my craft this past season, and I am so proud that my fans were entertained and inspired from watching me.”
Last year’s Readers’ Choice winner and 2010 Olympic champion Evan Lysacek came in second, followed by 2010 Olympic silver medalist ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
Weir’s 2009-10 season included a fourth-place finish at the Rostelecom Cup, a silver medal at the NHK Trophy and a bronze medal at the 2009 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. His bronze-medal win at the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships helped qualify him for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, where he finished sixth.
“I have the most amazing fans in the world, and this award is really for them,” Weir said. “I thank them for sticking with me through thick and thin, without complaint and with constant love.”
The three-time U.S. champion recently announced that he will not compete during the 2010-11 season, taking time off to concentrate on his skating technique and pursue other interests.
“I want to thank my family, my coaches, Galina Zmievskaya, Viktor Petrenko and Nina Petrenko, my choreographer David Wilson, and my agent Tara Modlin of Fireworks Sports Marketing,” Weir said.
The full title of the award is the “Readers’ Choice Skater(s) of the Year, Michelle Kwan Trophy.” The trophy is scheduled to be presented to Weir at the 2011 U.S. Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
Each spring, SKATING magazine readers are asked to vote for the eligible skater in any discipline whom they believe is most deserving of the award, based on the accomplishments of the past season. The Michelle Kwan Trophy, which represents both the sport of figure skating and SKATING magazine, is a one-of-a-kind crystal sculpture designed by Crystal Signatures of Pennsylvania.
The Readers’ Choice Award is given annually by SKATING magazine, the official publication of U.S. Figure Skating. Voting was open to the public on www.usfigureskating.org.
__________
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of more than 763 member clubs and Basic Skills Programs representing approximately 179,000 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.
