Olympic figure-skater Johnny Weir shrugs off 'homophobic' remarks

Last week, Australian Channel Nine presenters Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy took aim at his masculinity and pink and black costume, while French sportscasters Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg of the RDS network suggested he should take a gender test and that he was a "bad example".

Weir, who is often photographed in sequins, fake flowers and hairpieces, is said to be eccentric and flamboyant, although he has refused to state whether he is gay.

He told one interviewer: "There are some things I keep sacred. My middle name. Who I sleep with. And what kind of hand moisturiser I use."

He was interviewed by McGuire on Sunday evening in Channel Nine's Vancouver studio, where he said: "For me, I take everything as a game. I am very laid-back as far as that goes. I like to poke fun at people, there's no harm with that, it's all in good fun."

In response to the 'gender test' comments by French presenters Mailhot and Goldberg, he said: "Every little boy should be so lucky as to turn into me. And that’s all I have to say about that.”

The group had said last week it planned to file a complaint about the matter to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, an independent organization created by Canada's English and French private broadcasters to administer on-air standards and monitor the industry.

American Evan Lysacek, the reigning world champion, later won the gold medal in the skating final, edging out Russian Evgeni Plushenko, who took the silver. Weir finished sixth.

Weir has repeatedly avoided questions about his sexual orientation in the past, saying it's no one's business and it has no bearing on what he does as an athlete. He is aware of the comments, agent Tara Modlin said Monday.

"The comment is so inappropriate that we will not even justify it with a response," U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said.

Australia's Channel Nine has reportedly received complaints from viewers after two of its hosts joked about the masculinity of Weir and other male skaters.