1982–present
Who Is Tara Lipinski?
American figure skater Tara Lipinski won gold in the ladies’ singles competition at the 1998 Olympics in Japan at age 15, becoming the youngest female gold medalist in the sport’s history and the youngest winner of an individual event in the Winter Olympics. In 1997, before her Olympic debut, she became the youngest to win a World Figure Skating title. In 2014, Lipinski began working as an NBC sports commentator with fellow Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir. Together, they’re set to serve as analysts for the the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Tara Kristen Lipinski
BORN: June 10, 1982
BIRTHPLACE: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
SPOUSE: Todd Kapostasy (2017-present)
CHILD: Georgie
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Gemini
Early Life
Born on June 10, 1982, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Tara Kristen Lipinski is the daughter of parents Patricia and Jack Lipinski. Her mother worked as a secretary, while her father was a lawyer and oil executive.
Lipinski grew up in New Jersey and began taking ice skating lessons in 1988. In 1993, she moved to Delaware to train and eventually landed in Detroit to work with famed figure skating coach Richard Callaghan.
She made her national debut at the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival competition and won, making her the youngest person to take home a gold medal. From there, she continued to climb the competitive ladder, winning various national and international championships.
Figure Skating: World and Olympic Titles
With her signature triple loop-triple loop jump combination, Lipinski has won numerous awards. Among them, she was crowned World champion and U.S. national champion in 1997 and was a Champion Series Final champion in both 1997 and 1998.
Lipinski entered the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, with fellow U.S. figure skater Michelle Kwan as her main competition. Although Lipinski ended in second place to Kwan after the short program, she edged out her teammate for the gold medal with a stellar long program. She achieved seven triples, including a history-making triple loop-triple loop combination and finished her routine with a triple toe-half loop-triple Salchow.
Lipinski’s win not only made her the youngest female Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, but also the youngest to clinch gold in any individual category in Winter Olympic history.
After her gold medal win in 1998, Lipinski announced her desire to turn professional and subsequently skated in pro-competition events such as Ice Wars and toured extensively with Stars on Ice. In 1999, she made history again by becoming the youngest person to win the World Professional Figure Skating Championships. Lipinski fully retired from figure skating in 2002, but remains a prominent figure in the sport as a popular TV analyst.
Commentary with Johnny Weir
In 2013, NBC announced Lipinski would be a sports commentator for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, pairing her with figure skating champion and fellow Olympian Johnny Weir. The duo resonated with audiences and used social media to bring new fans to the sport.
“Our main audience really isn’t that [superfans], and I think we established that in Sochi,” Lipinski said on an episode of the Recode Media with Peter Kafka podcast. “We brought in a lot of people that never watch figure skating at all.” Lipinski and Weir were so well-received they were asked to cover every major figure skating event for the network going forward.
Lipinski and Weir also graduated beyond the ice skating rink and positioned themselves as lifestyle personalities. They worked the red carpet as fashion commentators at the 86th Academy Awards and have appeared at the Kentucky Derby in 2014, the Super Bowl in 2015, and the National Dog Show in 2017, among other high profile events.
In 2026, Lipinski and Weir will reprise their roles as NBC skating analysts at the Winter Games in Milano Cortina alongside play-by-play announcer Terry Gannon.
Television Appearances
Lipinski has appeared in a multitude of television shows such as Touched By an Angel; Malcolm in the Middle; Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; and 7th Heaven. She also had a cameo in the 2001 movie Vanilla Sky starring Tom Cruise.
More recently, Lipinski and skating friend Weir appeared as part of the cast of the fourth season of the Peacock reality competition series The Traitors in 2026.
Husband and Daughter
In June 2017, Lipinski married television producer Todd Kapostasy in Charleston, South Carolina. TV partner Weir attended the wedding, serving as Lipinski’s “bridesman.”
Lipinski has been candid about her struggle with infertility. She was previously diagnosed with endometriosis and experienced six failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) transfers. In October 2023, Lipinski finally welcomed a daughter, Georgie, via surrogate.
Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Lipinski’s total fortune at around $25 million as of January 2026.
Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!
The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
