No skater here, save for Candian Patrick Chan, was greeted with more enthusiasm by the crowd at the men's short program Tuesday night than American Johnny Weir, whose flamboyant personality has awarded him a popularity transcending his recent success on the ice.

But Weir said he knew coming in that a medal in the Olympics might be longshot, and that perception looks like it's reality after a short program that leaves him needing a lot of luck to get on the podium in Thursday's long program.

Weir finished with a score of 82.10 to stand in sixth place, far behind the top three of Evgeni Plushenko of Russia (90.85), American teammate Evan Lysacek (90.30) and Japan's Daisuke Takahashi (90.25).

But Weir, a three-time national champ whose only previous Olympics resulted in a fifth in 2006, said his score couldn't dampen a night that was how he always envisioned the Games could be.

"I actually had fun tonight,'' he said, which appeared evident in the way he blew a kiss to the appreciative crowd as he concluded his routine.. "And that's something I haven't been able to say for a long time. I felt I really showed my heart tonight. I smiled --- I can't remember the last time I smiled like that. So tonight was everything I thought it could be.

"The results are something I can't control, so I can't say "damnit, I didn't place in the top three today.' I can't control any of that. I just skate. And my goal was to show my heart, to take them on a journey with me so they can feel me.''

Weir's score took its biggest hit for landing wrong on a triple flip, something he said he couldn't question.

"I tend to do a triple flip on the wrong edge, which is a shame,'' he said. "I try to work on it, but I'm old (25) and it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I try to hide it on the ice, but it's still something that's not hard to see. But as long as it's pretty, I don't really care --- as long as I'm not on my (backside) afterward.''

Weir, though, said he had no regrets.

"I knew coming in here that a medal was pretty far-fetched for me,'' he said. "Not just through the publics' eyes but just through peoples' eyes in general I haven't really been a contender for a couple of years now, so to be let out of that 10 that people were thinking could challenge for a medal, I have no problems with that. I've accepted it. I understand it. I did the best I could.''

And as for Thursday's free skate?

"I just want people to feel me,'' he said. "I want people to feel like they are doing this with me regardless of where they are from or who they are rooting for. I want them to feel like they are out there on the ice with me.''