Tara Lipinski talks Sochi Olympics and working with Johnny Weir.
It's hard to believe it's been 16 years since figure skater Tara Lipinski won her first gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. But she's still very much involved with the sport -- this year as an Olympic commentator for NBC -- and we spoke with Tara about how her life has changed after she retired from competition.
"When you win a gold medal your life changes in an instant," Tara told ET in an interview Thursday on the sidelines of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. "And it's such a surreal feeling because your entire training career, you're thinking about the Olympics, getting to the Olympics, or possibly winning a medal and standing on top of that podium...You go into shock. It's a very strange feeling because between 10 and 11 p.m. your life changes."
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"I started skating at 3, and probably by the age of 5-6 is when it got serious for me. I was doing small competitions and then by the age of 12 is when things really changed and my whole life revolved around skating."
Tara also spoke about getting into broadcasting and shared her thoughts on teaming up in the booth for NBC Sports with former Olympic skater Johnny Weir. "What I love most about working with Johnny is that he is someone you can trust, and that's hard to find in any walk of life," she said. "But when I get up into that booth and put my headphones on, I know that he's got my back and I've got his. I think we both have the same outlook of what we want the viewer to see. Skating is cool and we just want to portray that!"
