Welcome to TaraRulz.com. The largest website dedicated to the 1998 Olympic, 1997 World and National, and World Professional figure skating champion, Tara Lipinski.
The full episode of Tara's appearance on Hollywood Game Night is available to view on NBC. Captures have been added to the gallery.
Posted by Angie on Thursday, March 24, 2014
NBC’s Kentucky Derby broadcast is two minutes of race, 2 hours 58 minutes of hats. So who better to fill the time than Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, who became America’s sweethearts during the Winter Olympics and have since pitched in on “Access Hollywood’s” Oscar red-carpet coverage. On Tuesday, the network announced that Weir and Lipinski will join the May 3 telecast from Churchill Downs.
The reason? Female viewers. Reports the AP:
Slightly more than half of NBC’s Derby viewers last year were women attracted to the party, the Nielsen company said. No other major TV sports event, with the exception of the Olympics, is so weighted toward female viewers, NBC said.
Weir and Lipinski were a hit in Sochi while covering figure skating for NBC and its related networks, as fans kept tabs on Weir’s constant wardrobe changes.
Both former figure skating champions have at least some familiarity with the ponies, the AP reports. Lipinski rode horses as a youngster and Weir competed in equestrian events. Weir also attended the 2010 Kentucky Derby while sporting “a giant, fur-covered sombrero,” even betting on the winning horse, according to AP. If he doesn’t break out that sombrero again, America loses.
Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir walk the red carpet during the U.S. Olympic Committee's Best of U.S. Awards at Warner Theatre on April 2, 2014 in Washington, DC.
Posted by Angie on Thursday, March 27, 2014
Posted by Angie on Thursday, March 27, 2014
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – NBC’s Willie Geist will serve as host for the United States Olympic Committee’s inaugural Best of U.S. Awards Show supported by USG, which will honor outstanding U.S. performances from the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and air April 7 on NBC Sports Network from 7-8 p.m. ET. In addition, figure skaters and commentators Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski will host red carpet coverage, as more than 200 members of Team USA arrive at the Warner Theatre for the live taping on April 2.
The winners of the Best of U.S. awards were determined via fan voting at Facebook.com/USOlympicTeam and Facebook.com/USParalympics. Winners in each of the 10 categories will be announced during the awards show, which will feature athlete and celebrity presenters. The full list of award nominees is included below.
Awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Male/Female Olympian, Best Male/Female Paralympian, Team of the Olympic/Paralympic Games, Moment of the Olympic/Paralympic Games, Fan of the Games and the USG Building Dreams Award, which honors an individual who has gone above and beyond in his/her support of Team USA athletes. The winners will be announced live to the audience during the event at the Warner Theatre, and then welcomed on stage to share a few remarks. All of the action, including highlights of the athletes’ red carpet arrivals, will be aired during the April 7 broadcast.
Geist is co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” 9 a.m. hour and the co-anchor of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” He is also a contributor to NBC News programs and to the NBC Sports Group. In addition to his television duties, Geist hosts the video blog “Zeitgeist” on NBCNews.com. Geist’s Olympic experience includes anchoring NBC Sports Network’s coverage from London 2012 and reporting from Sochi 2014 as a member of NBC’s Olympic Sportsdesk and the onsite Today show team.
The duo of Weir and Lipinski earned rave reviews for their work during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and will bring their same enthusiasm and personality to the Best of U.S. broadcast.
Weir’s distinguished 16-year figure skating career includes two Olympic appearances, three national titles and a world championship bronze medal. He was twice honored by fans with the U.S Figure Skating/Skating Magazine Readers’ Choice Award for “Skater of the Year.”
U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame member Lipinski became the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games when she captured the gold medal in ladies figure skating at the Nagano Games in 1998 at the age of 15. Since then, Lipinski has worked with many of the world’s top media outlets.
A nominating committee, comprised of U.S. Olympic Committee, athlete and media representatives, selected the finalists for the individual athlete and team categories, as well as the Moment of the Games, based on nominations from each National Governing Body.
The Best of U.S. Award Show, taping April 2 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., will include media opportunities during the red carpet arrivals, during the live taping and after the awards are announced. Confirmed athlete attendees and presenters will be announced next week.
Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski host a screening of the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Opening Ceremony in New York. March 7, 2013.
Posted by Angie on Thursday, March 20, 2014
Fresh off their stint at the Oscars as fashion correspondents for Access Hollywood, former Olympians Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir are hilarious, fun and, as usual, dishing on all of their fave athletes. We caught up with them during a NYC screening of the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games, and got them to spill on how they spent their time in Sochi, their favorite workouts and which athletes their cheering for in this next round of competition.
But before we get to that, let’s talk about the Paralympic Games. Featuring nearly 700 athletes with a physical disability or visual impairment from 45 countries competing in six sports, there’s a total of 72 medal events. The Opening Ceremony was a glorious display of colorful fanfare as Russia welcomed the teams, and we couldn’t have been more stoked to support our Olympic family…no matter how far away we may be.
“Being an Olympian, you become part of a larger family — especially in the United States where we take the Olympics and our Olympians very seriously — everyone’s connected,” said Johnny. “It was important to us to lend our support to our family.” Tara added, “As Olympians we know what it’s like to pursue your dream and to get there and see those Olympic rings and really what it takes — the sacrifices — they are elite athletes. So for them to be recognized like this is how it should be.”
We couldn’t help up but ask who it is they’re each rooting for. While Tara is all for Rico Roman, a retired Army Staff Sergeant and Purple Heart recipient who’s competing on the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey team, Johnny gushed over snowboarder Amy Purdy. “I’m so rooting for the amazing Ms. Amy Purdy,” said Johnny. “[She’s] going on Dancing with the Stars right after.” Aside from her involvement with the inaugural inclusion of snowboarding as an event in this year’s Games, Purdy will be the first double amputee to compete on Dancing with the Stars, with the season premiere starting March 17.
Just two weeks out from their own trip to Sochi, neither Johnny nor Tara had a bad word to say about their time in Russia. Painting a slightly different picture than most, Johnny confessed, “Sochi was incredible. I mean it was very secure, everything was very clean and beautiful, the food was great.” “We didn’t have any horror stories,” added Tara.
With all their traveling and hectic schedules, it can be tough to stay fit but Tara says it’s all about barre class, Spin and (of course) skating. “Skating for me is really the best form of exercise,” said Tara. “It just keeps my body in shape and you don’t actually feel like you’re working out.” What can be better? Johnny’s go-to is a mix of skating and Pilates. “I skate as much as possible, because I still perform in shows and I’m still touring and everything, but I also love Pilates.”
As for the future, the pair can’t quite reveal what’s up next, but Tara assures us that they’ll “keep it real.” “It’s been a whirlwind since we’ve been home, so I think whatever we do we still want to be Tara and Johnny.”
Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski arrive at the 86th Annual Academy Awards. March 2, 2013.
Posted by Angie on Saturday, March 8, 2014
NBC figure skating commentators Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski give a funny play-by-play from the Rockefeller Center‘s ice skating rink on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’. Pictures from their appearance have been added to the gallery.
Posted by Angie on Saturday, March 8, 2014
Posted by Angie on Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Tara Lipinski and Johnny Wier attend the 22nd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party. March 2, 2013.
Posted by Angie on Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Men's Scorecard & Style Blunders
Who Wins A Bronze Medal For Style?
Posted by Angie on Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Posted by Angie on Monday, March 3, 2014
"Olympic skating duo Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski join TODAY’s Al Roker and Kathie Lee Gifford to chat about Oscar fashion, noting Camila Alves, Cate Blanchett, and Lupita Nyong'o looked incredible, while giving Emma Watson a thumbs-down."
Posted by Angie on Monday, March 3, 2014
BC Olympics correspondents Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski made such a splash in Sochi last month that, fresh off the plane from Russia, Access Hollywood enlisted the charming duo to co-host their Oscars coverage. While getting ready this morning at the Roosevelt Hotel, just across the street from the Dolby Theatre, the duo invited VF.com to hang out with them while they primped and prepped for their Academy Awards red-carpet debut.
“We literally got off the plane [last] Sunday from Russia and before we had even left, Nicole from Access Hollywood was already working and pulling stuff for us, which was incredible,” Weir told us about their whirlwind transition from Winter Olympics to Hollywood. “We’d never really worked with her before and we take great pride in putting together our own looks because we love fashion. We love a good shop and a good pull but there was no time. By Tuesday, we were back on a plane out here.”
Fortunately, they were able to formulate a pretty air-tight Academy Award theme, which their fans have come to expect after the two announced that they modeled their looks in Sochi on The Hunger Games’ Stanley Tucci character, Caesar Flickerman. “We definitely had certain themes in mind—Old Hollywood or white, or we talked about what colors would be hot, orange or green.” Ultimately they settled on the purest of the three, with Tara wearing a strapless, off-white gown adorned by pale pink and silver flowers by Rani Zakhem Couture, which she selected on Saturday. Weir, meanwhile, pulled a white jacket by Kymerah, pants by Road to Augh, shirt by Raffinata, and Liberace-style crystal-studded shoes by Louis Leeman. Although Weir initially considered adding a train to the white jacket— because it’s the Oscars, darling—he ultimately opted to go more subdued with a sheer white panel. “I feel like we’re more angelic for the Oscars and then we go darker for the after party,” Lipinski added. Lipinski’s after-party look is a black, beaded vintage Marchesa gown, while Weir’s look is a backless Tom Ford suit—which is as sexy as Weir goes, he told us—black leather leggings, and high wedges. “We’re definitely doing angels and demons,” Weir said. His hair-spiration for both day and night, Weir told us, is Elvis, showing us the exact pompadoured look he was seeking. Thankfully, he had his trusty weave with him to help complete the look. “This girl has been through a lot,” he told us. “She was shipped to Russia. She’s been covered in glitter, hairspray, mouse. She’s seen it all.”
Despite the mad sprint from Sochi to Hollywood, Weir told us that he did see last night’s Saturday Night Live sketch during which Jim Parsons parodied him as a guest on Ellen DeGeneres’s talk show. “I was very honored that he was the one parodying me,” Weir told us as he had his makeup done. (“Let’s go natural,” he told the makeup artist . . . “with the mascara and blush, and my eyebrows filled in. Natural.”) “I died. It was hilarious and I am obsessed with his pink blazer. He was wearing a really banging necklace that I need in my life.” Later, a friend texted him a still from the sketch and Weir confirmed that Parsons had done a great impersonation. “I sit like that when I am trying to be fancy and go on television. I sit up a little straighter, though.” However, the wardrobe choices, including feathered shawl and hairpiece, were pretty accurate. “I mean, I am ridiculous,” he said.
After his hair and makeup were completed, Weir checked in with Lipinski: “Queer enough?”
“Yes, but no more,” Lipinski replied. When a stylist approached him with a tiny bejeweled clutch, he touched it lovingly. “What would I even put in this?” he said, considering his options before showing some restraint. “But I shouldn’t . . . Tara likes it when I am a gentleman.”
“I need a date,” Lipinski confirmed. Although, perhaps, a date that can help her in the male-alluring department. Gazing at Lipinski’s dress, Weir asked out loud, “Are you going to contour your décollage?”
“What?” Lipinski asked, confused.
“Are you going to shade in around your pretty, pretty princesses,” Weir explained. “Get them out there.” Still not getting it, Weir sighed before explaining what he was getting at: “I’m just trying to get you laid.”
