Not that this is the most shocking news… Johnny Weir, three-time United States champion, has openly admitted he’s gay in his new memoir, “Welcome To My World”. In his book, hitting shelves on January 11th, Weir talks about his sexuality and explains why he avoided confirming it until now.

“I’m not ashamed to be me,” wrote Weir. “More than anyone else I know, I love my life and accept myself. What’s wrong with being unique? I am proud of everything that I am and will become. By puberty, I knew that I was gay,” he wrote. “But I didn’t worry about it much. As a serious skater, I was way too busy.”

with the recent rash of gay suicides among young male teens Weir was compelled to admit his sexuality. Weir said, “With people killing themselves and being scared into the closet, I hope that even just one person can gain strength from my story.”

Don’t miss more of Johnny in the January 17th issue of People Magazine.

Weir is currently in Russia and is taking the year off from competition and hasn’t ruled out the Sochi Olympics in 2014.