FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 2nd, 2016

JOHNNY WEIR & TARA LIPINSKI TO JOIN NBC OLYMPICS IN RIO AS CORRESPONDENTS

Duo Visited World-Famous Carnival & Will Explore Rich Culture of Rio This Summer

2016 Rio Olympic Games Begin Friday, August 5, on the Networks of NBCUniversal

This Week, Weir & Lipinski Return to Kentucky Derby as NBC Fashion and Lifestyle Experts

Weir & Lipinski Discuss 2016 Rio Olympic Games & Kentucky Derby Roles on Conference Call Today at 2:30 P.M. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 2, 2016 – Two-time Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir and 1998 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Tara Lipinski will serve as correspondents for NBC’s coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, exploring the rich culture, sights, sounds and, of course, fashion, of Rio.

Weir and Lipinski began their Olympic prep earlier this February at the world-famous Carnival festival, highlighted by amazing food, beautiful beaches, samba dancing, and dazzling colors. A look at their experience from LXTV’s “First Look” can be found here.

After receiving critical acclaim for their figure skating analysis on NBCSN’s coverage of the 2014 Sochi Games, Weir and Lipinski were named NBC’s lead figure skating commentary team. They have served as fashion, lifestyle and social media correspondents for a wide range of NBC Sports Group properties including the 2014 and 2015 Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl XLIX, and the National Dog Show.

This week, Weir and Lipinski will work as fashion and lifestyle experts for the 2016 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7 (4 p.m. ET on NBC), and the Kentucky Oaks (12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN) on Friday, May 6.

“We are thrilled to have Johnny and Tara join us in Rio, a city whose color, vibrancy and spirit is a perfect match with their own,” said Jim Bell, Executive Producer of NBC Olympics. “In Sochi, they brought a fresh take on figure skating and an authentic social media presence. We can’t wait for them to bring their unique energy to the ‘marvelous city’ of Rio.”

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Weir and Lipinski will preview their roles as fashion and lifestyle experts at the 142nd Kentucky Derby and as NBC Olympic Correspondents at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on a conference call today Monday, May 2, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Dial 719-325-2452 to participate; conference ID 9725243

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Weir is a two-time Olympian, three-time U.S. national champion and World bronze medalist. Lipinski was the youngest person to win the U.S. and World Championships (age 14). She became the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games when she captured a gold medal at the Nagano Olympics in 1998 at the age of 15.

As figure skating analysts for NBC Sports Group, Weir and Lipinski commentate on the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, World Championships, the ISU Grand Prix Series, and NBC Olympics’ coverage of the Winter Games. Both made their Olympic broadcast debut with NBC Sports Group during the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

THE OLYMPICS BEGIN FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016

About NBC Olympics

A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. The 2012 London Olympics were watched by 217 million Americans across the networks of NBCUniversal, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history.

–Rio 2016–