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Statement: Johnny Weir on withdrawing from Worlds

A statement from Johnny Weir on his withdraw from the 2010 World Championships:

I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support during the recent Olympic Games. The 2010 Olympics will be a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life.  I feel that I skated two of the best performances of my career, making my coaches, my family and above all- myself very proud. But I would not have been able to skate the way I did without the encouragement of my fans worldwide.

And while I am still embracing my Olympic memories and have the momentum to move forward, I have decided that it is not advantageous at this time for me to partake in the World Championships in Torino, Italy.  After my sixth place finish in Vancouver, I believe that I must take time to reassess my strategies and goals.  While I understand the importance of competition, I feel that a short break at this time would be personally beneficial to me. I know all may not share my stance, but I can assure everyone that I will be re-energized after I’ve had time to rework my technique. I want to be a better competitor and win medals for my country and I hope everyone can respect my decision to take this time off.

Once again, I want to thank everyone who supported me this season.  Specifically, I would like to thank my coaches Galina Zmievskaya, Viktor Petrenko, Nina Petrenko, Priscilla Hill and David Wilson for helping me make my Olympic dreams a reality.  I would also like to thank my family and friends for their never- ending support. Finally, I want my fans to know that I love them and I work every day to make them proud. I will continue to work hard and I hope my work for next season will be the most exciting of my career.