Brian Joubert

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Brian Joubert
Personal Info
Country: Flag of France France
Date of birth: September 20, 1984 (1984-09-20) (age 23)
Residence: Poitiers, France
Height: 179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Coach: Jean-Christophe Simond
Former Coach: Andrei Berezintsev,
Veronique Guyon, Laurent Depouilly
Choreographer: Evgeny Platov
Skating Club: Club France F.F.S.G.
ISU Personal Best Scores
Short + Free Total: 240.85 2007 Worlds
Short Program: 83.64 2007 Worlds
Free Skate: 160.13 2006 Cup of Russia
Most Recent Results :
Event Points Finish Year
World Championships 231.22 2nd 2008
European Championships 219.45 3rd 2008

Brian Joubert (born September 20, 1984) is a French figure skater. He is the 2007 World Champion, a two-time European champion (2004 & 2007), a six-time French National champion, and the 2006 Grand Prix champion.

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Joubert was born in Poitiers, France to Jean-Michel and Raymonde Joubert. He suffered a life-threatening illness at the age of 11 months, which led to the removal of one kidney. [1] Because of this illness, Joubert chose figure skating over more violent sports that he favored. He began skating at the age of four with his two older sisters. The siblings started out with ice dancing, but Joubert became fascinated with the jumping aspect of singles skating and switched disciplines. [2]

Joubert has been considered somewhat of a heartthrob in his native country, France. This reputation has been contributed to by Joubert's short relationship with former Miss France, Lætitia Bléger. [2] He later brought a lawsuit against Bléger for 40,000 Euros for insinuating that he was homosexual and that their relationship was arranged to hide this. [3] Bléger and two magazines that published her allegations were ordered by a French court to pay a total of 17,000 Euros, and to publish the court ruling in one of the two magazines. [4]. Joubert is currently dating Italian national champion Valentina Marchei [5].

Joubert is a sponsor for an association for children with Williams syndrome. [1] In March 13, 2006, Joubert published his biography, Brian Joubert: le Feu sur la Glace (Brian Joubert: the fire on ice), in French. [6]

[edit] Career

Joubert's first major international competition was the 2000 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where he placed 15th. He failed to qualify for the French team for Junior Worlds for the next year: because of this, the then-president of the French Ice Sports Federation, Didier Gailhaguet, entered Joubert in the 2001 Top Jump competition, where he placed second.[7] The 2000-2001 season was the only season Joubert spent on the international junior circuit.

Joubert made his international senior debut at the 2001 Skate America, where he placed 9th. At French Nationals, he won the bronze medal, qualifying him for the 2002 European Figure Skating Championships. He won the bronze medal, which earned him a spot on the French team to the 2002 Olympics, where he placed 14th. He rose one spot to 13th at the World Championships the following month.

Joubert burst onto the international scene in the 2002-2003 season. Following the withdrawal of Alexei Yagudin from the 2002 Skate America competition due to a hip injury, Joubert rose to the occasion and won the competition. He qualified for the Grand Prix Final with a fifth place finish at home at the Trophee Lalique, and then won the bronze medal at his debut in the Grand Prix Final. He also won the French national championships that season, the first of six titles. He won silver at Europeans and placed 6th at Worlds.

In the 2003-2004 season, Joubert once again won a medal on the Grand Prix circuit. At Europeans, he became the first Frenchman to become European Champion in 40 years and the first non-Russian to win the event since 1996. He won his first World medal later that year, a silver.

The 2004-2005 season started well for Joubert; he won two Grand Prix medals and placed a close second at Europeans. However, he had a disappointing Worlds, finishing 6th. Joubert fought back in 2005-2006, but it was an up-and-down season. He skated to a third-place finish at Europeans, and though he was expected to make a run at the podium at the 2006 Olympics, Joubert placed a disappointing 6th. He rallied at the 2006 Worlds, winning the short program but losing the title overall to Stéphane Lambiel.

For the 2006-2007 Grand Prix season, Joubert was assigned to compete in Trophée Eric Bompard and Cup of Russia, and placed first in both events. He went on to win the ISU Grand Prix Final in Saint Petersburg. Joubert reclaimed his European title at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships. He went on to Worlds and won his first World title.

Joubert began the 2007-2008 season at Skate Canada, which he won. He was forced to withdraw from Trophee Eric Bompard, his second Grand Prix event, before the event began, due to illness.[8] In the European championships in January 2008, Joubert fell on the triple axel in the short program and made mistakes in the long program, but still managed to earn his seventh European medal in as many appearances, a bronze. In March 2008, he competed at the World Championships, where he won the silver medal behind Canadian Jeffrey Buttle [9].

[edit] Technique

Joubert is known for his strong jumping ability. He has a consistent quadruple salchow and a quadruple toe loop. At the 2006 Cup of Russia competition, Joubert joined an elite group of men's skaters by landing three quadruple jumps--two toe loops and a salchow--in his long program. [10] [11]. Joubert has stated in interviews that he considers quad jumps to be important for the future of figure skating as a sport[12].

Joubert has been criticized for the lack of variety in his spins, but this area has shown a marked improvement because of Joubert's work with Swiss skater Lucinda Ruh starting at the 2005-2006 season.

Joubert following his gold medal winning free skate at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships.
Joubert following his gold medal winning free skate at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships.

[edit] Coaching changes

Joubert trained for 15 years with Veronique Guyon because of his desire to remain close to his family in Poitiers. Guyon resigned from her position in the summer of 2003 due to her desire to spend more time with her family. Joubert then started training for the 2003-04 season with Laurent Depouilly[12], and took on Alexei Yagudin as his 'advisor'. [12]Joubert parted ways with Yagudin because of Yagudin's dislike of Nikolai Morozov, Joubert's choreographer. [2]

Because of a lack of support from his current coach, Joubert fired Depouilly and returned to Guyon for a brief period of time. However, Guyon's demands that Joubert stop working with his mother and that she should get paid by receiving 10% of his prize money from the 2005-06 season caused their relationship to further deteriorate, and Joubert parted ways with Guyon on October 2003. [1] Joubert switched to Andrei Berenzitsev, but as of September 2006, is coached by Jean-Christophe Simond. His 2008-2009 programs will be choreographed by Evgeny Platov[13].

Joubert has also received criticism over his association with Didier Gailhaguet, the former and now reinstated head of the French skating organization. However, Joubert credits Gailhaguet as having helped his career enormously.[12]

[edit] Programs

Season Short Program Free Skating Exhibition
2007-2008 "All for you" by Sèbastien Damiani Enter Sandman by Apocalyptica plays Metallica

Nothing Else Matters By Apocalyptica plays Metallica O Verona from Romeo and Juliet soundtrack by various composers

Clocks by Coldplay, Rise (leave me alone) by Safri Duo
2006-2007 James Bond Die Another Day (soundtrack) Enter Sandman by Appocalyptica plays Metallica

The Unforgiven by Appocalyptica plays Metallica Nothing Else Matters by Appocalyptica plays Metallica O Verona from Romeo and Juliet soundtrack by various composers

You Are Loved, Leave Me Alone, Armonia, Elvis, Love Is All.
2005-2006 James Bond Die Another Day (soundtrack) Lord of the Dance by Ronan Hardiman
Matrix
Daft Punk, Le Roi Soleil.
2004-2005 Music Selection by Blue Men Group 1492 Conquest of Paradise (soundtrack) by Vangelis Lord of the Dance.
2003-2004 Time - Pink Floyd Matrix Soundtrack J'ai Demande a La Lune - Indochine
Love's Divine - Seal
2002-2003 Time - Pink Floyd The Untouchables (sound track) - Nelson Riddle and Ennio Morricone Le Lacs du Conemara - Michel Sardou
S.O.S. D'un Terrien En Detresse Starmania
2001-2002 The Mexican Hat The Mission - Ennio Morricone & London Philharmony Orchestra L'aigle noir - Florent Pagny

[edit] Competitive Results

Event 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008
Winter Olympic Games 14th 6th
World Championships 13th 6th 2nd 6th 2nd 1st 2nd
European Championships 3rd 2nd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 3rd
World Junior Championships 15th
French Championships 10th 14th 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
French Junior Championships 2nd 4th
French Masters 3rd 1st 3rd 1st 1st 1st
Grand Prix Final 3rd 5th 1st
Trophée Eric Bompard 5th 4th 2nd 2nd 1st WD
Skate Canada International 1st
Cup of Russia 1st
Skate America 9th 1st 1st 3rd
Cup of China 2nd
NHK Trophy 4th
Junior Grand Prix, France 4th
Junior Grand Prix, Poland 4th

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Joubert, Brian, Loïc Lejay and Céline Longuèvre. Brian Joubert: la rage de gagner, Jacob-Duvernet (March 13, 2006). ISBN 2-84724-105-1
  2. ^ a b c 2006 NBC Olympics biography, accessed July 7, 2007
  3. ^ Brian Joubert asks for 40,000 Euros, accessed July 7, 2007
  4. ^ A new victory for Brian!, accessed July 7, 2007
  5. ^ Brian Joubert Ready to Defend his Title accessed May 5, 2008
  6. ^ Translated book description, accessed July 7, 2007
  7. ^ The Figure Skating Corner: 2001 Top Jump International
  8. ^ ISU : Full Story
  9. ^ ISU : 2008 World Figure Skating Championships Full Story
  10. ^ Brian Joubert: In Peak Form, accessed July 7, 2007
  11. ^ 2006 Cup of Russia Highlights, accessed July 7, 2007
  12. ^ a b c d Brian Joubert: Ready to Rally, accessed April 14, 2008
  13. ^ Joubert Training in Princeton with Platov accessed May 29, 2008

[edit] External links

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