Odd couple share suite at Vancouver Olympics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- No bathtub.

That was the first thing Tanith Belbin noticed when she arrived at her suite in the Olympic village. Her "roomie," Johnny Weir, had taken the room with the bigger bathroom, the one with the tub.

"We both like to soak in our bubble baths," Belbin said Friday with a chuckle as she discussed her accommodations in Vancouver. "I told him, 'I want to use the bathtub,' and Johnny said, 'I want to use the bathtub.' He got here first."

Dueling divas at the games? Not quite.

"He offered to switch rooms after he's competed," Belbin said.

The Olympics' odd couple actually isn't so odd a pairing. The longtime friends have their own bedrooms, but otherwise will be roommates.

Belbin, who won Olympic silver in 2006 with partner Ben Agosto, and men's singles skater Weir, fifth in Turin, rose together through the ranks and have remained close during their careers. The 25-year-old Belbin recalls competing in the same junior events as Weir, who is nine days older.

"A lot of the team is much younger and it's good to have someone you know a long time and you can relate to," Belbin said. "I've known Johnny since I was a little girl and it's nice to be comfortable and staying with someone you know."

Or, as Weir put it, "We're both divas. The only way they could make us both happy was to put us together."

Both Belbin and Weir have some time before they will skate at the games. The men's short program is Tuesday and compulsory dance is next Friday.

While Belbin and Agosto are strong medals contenders, Weir is a long shot to reach the podium. His career has stagnated since the Turin Games, where he was second after the short program, then flopped his way through the free skate.

Outside of a bronze medal at the 2008 worlds, Weir hasn't been a factor in major competitions. He finished third at nationals in January, grabbing the final berth on the U.S. Olympic team.