‘The Traitors’: Get to Know Retired Olympic Figure Skater Tara Lipinski

On the heels of the 2026 Winter Olympics, beginning February 6, figure skating fans can see not one but two retired Olympians on The Traitors. Tara Lipinski has slipped through the cracks on Season 4 and has made it pretty far.

Lipinski is a Faithful, who is playing the game with her Olympic best friend, Johnny Weir, who is also a Faithful. As Episode 8 drops tonight, fans can see both of them still in the game.

Although she does not compete in the Olympics anymore, she is still part of the world as she turned to broadcasting figure skating for the Olympics and beyond.

The 23 competitors this season are Lipinski, Weir, Mark Ballas (Dancing with the Stars), Kristen Kish (Top Chef), singer Erin Nam, Donna Kelce, Porsha Williams (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Caroline Stanbury (The Real Housewives of Dubai), Candiace Dillard Bassett (The Real Housewives of Potomac), Lisa Rinna (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Dorinda Medley (The Real Housewives of New York), Ian Terry (Big Brother), Tiffany Mitchell (Big Brother), Rob Cesternino (Survivor), Natalie Anderson (Survivor), and Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho (Survivor), Rob Rausch (Love Island USA), Maura Higgins (Love Island USA), Colton Underwood (The Bachelor),  Monét X Change (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Stephen Colletti (Laguna Beach), Michael Rapaport, and Ron Funches. 

Here is what you should know about Tara Lipinski.

Early Life

Lipinski was born on June 10, 1982, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, she spent most of her childhood in Sewell, New Jersey. She started roller skating at the age of three. At nine, she became a national champion. Lipinski transferred her skills to the ice rink the same year and took lessons at the University of Delaware.

She moved to Texas in 1991 after her father, Jack, received a promotion, but she and her mother, Pat, moved back to New Jersey two years later to resume training with her coach, as she had been with him for three years before they moved. They then moved to Michigan in 1995 and switched trainers.

Skating Career

Lipinski won a silver medal in 1994 at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She also became the youngest athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympic Festival that same year. The skater placed first in the international skating competition, Blue Swords, in November 1994.

In 1996, Lipinski won the bronze medal at the U.S. Championships after switching coaches. That same year, she defeated Michelle Kwan at the Champions Series Final and took home the gold medal. She was the youngest skater to win a U.S. Championship title at only 14 years old in 1997. Lipinski broke the record set by 15-year-old Sonya Klopfer when she won the U.S. Nationals in 1951.

The figure skater became the youngest female skater to win the 1997 World Championships. She was only one month younger than the previous holder, Sonja Henie.

The Olympics

Lipinski made her Olympic debut in 1998 in Japan. She went to the game with Kwan and Nicole Bobek. She won the gold medal in the Women’s Singles. At the age of 15, she was the youngest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympics history, a record she still holds to this day. Kwan took the gold medal while a Chinese skater placed third.

This was her first and only Olympic Games. She retired from figure skating in April of that year. However, Lipinski transitioned to professional skating, touring with Stars on Ice, before retiring completely in 2002, according to 1iota. She had hip surgery in 2000 that hindered her performance.

Broadcast Career

After taking some years off for travel and college, she began commentating for Universal Sports in 2010 and NBC in 2011, where she commented on most figure skating competition broadcasts. During this time, Lipinski also became a correspondent for Extra.

She broadcast her first Winter Olympics in 2014 with Weir and Terry Gannon. All three of them were analysts at the 2018 games and hosted the closing ceremonies of the 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 games. They all won a Sports Emmy for their coverage of the 2024 games.

In 2014, Lipinski and Weir became red carpet reporters for Access Hollywood, where they analyzed celebrities’ outfits. She has also hosted the Kentucky Derby, the National Dog Show, and the Beverly Hills Dog Show, as well as pre-coverage for the Super Bowl.

The trio is set to return for the upcoming 2026 games.

Other Media Ventures

Lipinski and Weir started a podcast in 2016 called Tara & Johnny. The last episode was in May 2018.

The duo also appeared on a few Food Network shows. Lipinski also cohosted Wedding Talk with event planner José Rolón and wedding designer Jove Meyer in 2021.

She also produced a four-part documentary series, Meddling: The Olympic Skating Scandal That Shocked the World, the same year. Other TV appearances include 7th Heaven, Malcolm in the Middle, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, The Young and the Restless, and more.

Is She Married?

Yes, Tara Lipinski is married.

In June 2017, Tara married sports producer Todd Kapostasy, where Weir, her best friend, served as a bridesman. After being open about her struggles with infertility, Tara and Todd welcomed their daughter in 2023 via surrogacy.