Understand, he’s not nearly as fascinating as the whole Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal in 1994, but Weir intrigues me.

That will probably upset the skating purists.

It’s not because Weir tries to be sexually ambiguous. Or because his reality show on the Sundance Channel – Be Good Johnny Weir – began on Jan. 18.

And it’s certainly not because he knows how to ham it up on the late-night TV talk show circuit.

Weir simply makes skating fun.

You never know what he’s going to say. Or do. Lord knows, most fans at Pacific Coliseum couldn’t wait to see what he was going to wear.

Would he wear real fur, like the fox he wore at last month’s U.S. Championships? Or would he opt for faux fur because he didn’t want to rile up the folks from PETA any more than he already has?

Admit it, you were just as intrigued as I was.

For the record, Weir wore a black one-piece outfit with a sheer top tied with pink laces – think corset – that exposed his chest and even covered his hands. A million or two glittering sequins completed the outfit, which had pink trim along his right arm and matching tassel on his left shoulder.

When Weir skates, even a novice like me can see the emotion and pleasure he derives from being the center of attention.

You sense his joy. His vibe.

You see his grace. His athleticism. His attitude.

Weir has invited you to watch him dance at his own party. most of us are too self-conscious to do that.

Not Weir. He’s liberated. Boundaries don’t exist for him.

“I actually had fun tonight. That’s something that I haven’t been able to do for a long time,” he said. “I showed my heart. I smiled. Tonight, I just wanted to take people on a journey with me.”

Weir put himself in position to contend for a medal with a score of 82.10. He’s in sixth place heading into Thursday night’s long program.

Weir, the 25th of 30 skaters to perform Tuesday, skated to Argentine pianist Raul di Blasio’s “I love You, I Hate You.”

When he finished, much of the audience stood and applauded – at least until the fans saw his score. then they booed.

“It’s going to be a cat fight in the long program,” he said, smiling. “I’m happy to be part of that.”

Of all the questions fans have for Weir, there’s only one he really needs to answer.

Is he still relevant?

The reality is that Weir hasn’t done much as a skater lately. and at 24, if he can’t somehow get it done at these Games, he can probably begin his professional career and start cashing some six-digit checks because he’s a marketing genius.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

Dennis Rodman made millions being an original, though some say he copied Madonna’s approach. Rodman, though, also won championships.

Weir has failed to perform at his best on skating’s biggest stages.

Although he’s a three-time U.S. national champion, figure skaters are ultimately judged by their Olympic accomplishments.

Weir, a medal hopeful in the 2006 Turin Games, finished fifth. In other sports, we’d have no problem calling that choking.

While Weir remains an audience favorite, he’s not among the favorites to medal. Russia’s Evgeni Plushenko, a medalist in 2006, scored 90.85 and finished the night in first place.

Actually, Weir isn’t even the best U.S. skater anymore. Second-place Evan Lysacek (90.30) has surpassed him, but he’s not nearly as interesting.

That attribute will make Weir rich, but it won’t make him an Olympic champion.

Smiling Johnny Weir in 6th place after short program | Olympics …