Lambiel at the 2010 European Championships |
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| Country represented | Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 April 1985 Martigny, Valais |
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| Home town | Saxon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Peter Grütter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach | Viktor Petrenko Galina Zmievskaya |
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| Choreographer | Salome Brunner Antonio Najarro |
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| Skating club | Patineurs de Genève | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 9 March 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ISU personal best scores | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Combined total | 246.72 2010 Winter Olympics |
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| Short program | 84.63 2010 Winter Olympics |
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| Free skate | 162.09 2010 Winter Olympics |
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Medal record
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Stéphane Lambiel (born 2 April 1985 in Martigny, Valais) is a Swiss figure skater and a choreographer. He is a two-time (2005–2006) World Champion, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2005, 2007) Grand Prix Champion and a nine-time (2001–08, 2010) Swiss national champion. Lambiel is known for his spins and is credited with popularizing some spin positions.
He announced his retirement from competitive skating on 16 October 2008, citing an injury to the adductor muscle in one of his thighs.[1] However, on 25 July 2009, he announced that he would return to competitive skating and try to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. On 9 March 2010, he again announced his retirement from competition.[2]
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Lambiel grew up in Saxon, Switzerland. He has a sister, Silvia (born in 1982), and a brother, Christophe (born in 1989). Lambiel's mother is Portuguese. Lambiel lives in Lausanne, Switzerland and received his "maturité" (matura) in biology and chemistry in June 2004.[3]
Lambiel speaks French, German (not Swiss German), English, and Portuguese fluently. He is learning Italian.[4]
He has recurring injuries in both his knees, requiring him to miss exhibitions and training time. Unlike most figure skaters, Lambiel can spin and jump in both counter-clockwise and clock-wise directions.[5] He is able to do successive double axels, changing his rotation direction between each one but stopped training it.[5]
In a 2008 interview, Alexei Mishin called him an "outstanding artist and spins genius" and added that his retirement is an "immense loss".[6] According to Mishin, Lambiel was "strangled by the modern figure skating regulations".
Lambiel began skating when he was seven in Saxon, Switzerland.[5] His mother wanted him to play hockey but he was more interested in jumping.[5] At the age of nine, he began traveling one and a half hours by train to Geneva to work with coach Peter Grütter and by ten, he landed a triple toe loop.[5]
Lambiel, then the novice national champion of Switzerland, performed in the gala at the 1997 World Championships, held in Lausanne. He won the junior national champion for the next two years and spent three years on the junior Grand Prix circuit, winning two medals during this time. Lambiel won his first senior national title in the 2001 season, aged 15. He made his senior debut at the 2001 Europeans, finishing ninth, and was fifth at the 2001 World Junior Championships.
The next season, Lambiel turned senior and finished 6th in his first senior Grand Prix, the 2001 Trophée Lalique. The Swiss skating federation told him that they would send him to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City if he placed in the top twelve at the 2002 European Championships. Lambiel placed fourth and was sent to the Olympics, where he finished fifteenth. He was eighteenth at the 2002 Worlds.
The following season, Lambiel placed fifth at the 2003 European Championships and moved up to tenth at Worlds. In 2003-2004 season, he was sixth at the 2004 European Championships and fourth at the 2004 World Championships.
Lambiel was forced to miss the 2004–2005 ISU Grand Prix season due to injury, but recouped to place 4th at the 2005 European Championships.
At the 2005 World Championships, held in Moscow, Russia, Lambiel was ahead of Evgeni Plushenko after the qualifying round and short program. Plushenko then withdrew from the competition with an injury. Skating to the King Arthur soundtrack in the long program, Lambiel landed two quadruple toe loops and gave an overall strong performance to win his first World championship; it was also his first medal at an ISU championship. He became the first Swiss man to win the event since Hans Gerschwiler did so in 1947.
Lambiel won silver medals at both his Grand Prix events and won the Grand Prix Final. He came in second at the 2006 European Championships in Lyon, France, behind Plushenko. Lambiel went into the 2006 Olympic Games, in Turin, Italy, with a strong chance to medal. He was third after the short program and only placed fourth in the long program, but was able to win the silver medal when other contenders faltered. Lambiel did not complete a triple axel at the Olympics, but he did land a clean quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop-double loop combination.
Plushenko chose not to go to the 2006 World Championships, and Lambiel was considered a favorite to defend his title. He was first after the qualifying round, fourth in the short program and first in the long program, and became the first Swiss skater ever to be a two-time World Champion.
After the 2005–06 season, Lambiel participated in the Champions on Ice tour.
Lambiel began the 2006–2007 season with a win at Skate Canada, where he finished seventh in the short program but first in the free skate. He was also assigned to the 2006 NHK Trophy, but withdrew prior to the event, citing health reasons.[7] He recovered in time to skate at the Swiss Championships, where he won his seventh national title.
On 16 January, Lambiel withdrew from the 2007 European Championships, citing burnout.[8] He returned to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. In the short program, Lambiel fell on his triple axel and only tripled the first jump in his intended quadruple toe loop-double toe loop combination, finishing sixth. He did better in the long program, landing two quadruple toe loops and a triple axel, and earning high program component scores and a level four for three of his spins. Lambiel finished in 2nd on the night and third overall behind Brian Joubert and Daisuke Takahashi.
In 2007, Lambiel finished 3rd at the Cup of China and 2nd at the Cup of Russia, qualifying him for the Grand Prix Final. He won the event for a second time in his career with 239.10 points, only 0.16 points ahead of Daisuke Takahashi.
At the 2008 European Championships in Zagreb, Lambiel had a disappointing short program, falling on his triple axel and managing only a triple toe loop-double loop combination; he placed 4th. He finished 2nd in the long program after landing a quadruple toe loop-double toe loop-double loop combination and earning 80 points in program components score for his Flamenco program, a very high score at that time. He won his second European silver medal, behind Czech Tomáš Verner.[9]
At the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, Lambiel fell on his triple axel and put his hand down on a quadruple toe loop in the short program, leaving him in fifth place going into the free skate. In the free skate, he stepped out of his triple axel attempt, put his hand down again on the quadruple toe loop in his combination, and then stepped out of his solo quadruple toe loop. He finished in fifth place overall.[10]
Lambiel moved to the United States to train with Viktor Petrenko in Wayne, New Jersey.[1] He was scheduled to compete at Grand Prix events in Canada and France but pulled out of both events.[1] In October 2008, he announced his retirement from competitive skating as the result of an adductor muscle injury.[1] He said, "It's seven months that I've been going to see the best doctors. I still have the pain and it's really not possible to train like that. I didn't have the ability to reach my objectives."[1] He performed in many shows in Switzerland, France, Italy, South Korea and Japan, as well as the Canadian Stars on Ice tour.
Lambiel returned to competitive skating for the 2009-2010 season, hoping to medal again at the Olympics. Although his training was still slightly affected, he said the injury was under control.[11] He began his season at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy, which was the qualifying competition for countries that did not already have Olympic slots.[12] Lambiel finished first in the short with 77.45 points, falling on his quadruple toe-loop but receiving a level four on all of his spins. He also won the free skate with a score of 154.91 points; he landed a quadruple toe loop-double toe loop-double toe loop combination and a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, and received a level four on two of his spins. His program components score was high in both segments of the competition and he won the title with 232.36 points, qualifying Switzerland for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Lambiel won his ninth national title at the 2010 Swiss Championships. He placed first in both the short program and the free skate to win the gold medal with a total of 244.23 points, 44.78 ahead of Jamal Othman. He then competed in the 2010 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, where he placed fifth in the short program with 77.75 points, after having problems with his quadruple toe-loop. He rebounded in the free skate, earning 160.79 points to win the silver medal. His program components score of 85.00 was the highest of the night.[13] Overall, he scored 238.54 points, 16.85 behind Evgeni Plushenko.
Lambiel was the flag bearer for Switzerland at the 2010 Winter Olympics.[14] At the Olympics, he was fifth in the short program with a score of 84.63 points and third in the free skate with a score of 162.09, a new personal best. He finished 4th with 246.72, behind medalists Evan Lysacek, Plushenko and Daisuke Takahashi.
A day after the long program, Lambiel announced that he had long intended to sit out the 2010 World Championships.[15] A few weeks later, he announced his retirement from competition.[2]
Lambiel competed in a new ABC skating series, "Thin Ice" which aired on 19 March 2010. He was paired with Shizuka Arakawa, and the two finished third, winning a total of $45,000. They skated to "Get Me Bodied" by Beyoncé and "Magic" by Robin Thicke. As a result of his participation in the show, he lost his ISU eligibility. After negotiations, the ISU allowed him to perform in the exhibition gala at the 2011 European Championships in Switzerland.[16]
After "Thin Ice", he performed in Kings On Ice in Russia, alongside Brian Joubert, Johnny Weir and Evgeni Plushenko.[17]
He also took part in ice shows in Sweden, Eastern Europe, Germany, Japan, China and South Korea,[18] including All that skate, headlined by Kim Yu-Na,[19] and Opera On Ice.[20]
Lambiel trained from 1995 through the 2007–2008 season with coach Peter Grütter,[21] with a brief stop in 2004. He trained mainly in Geneva and Lausanne. As there was no ice in Geneva from April to June, he also trained in Germany (Oberstdorf sometimes) during that time.[5] Since the age of 11 (1996), his choreographer is Salomé Brunner.[22][23] Lambiel assists in designing his own costumes.
On 6 June 2008, Lambiel announced that he would be leaving coach Peter Grütter and moving to New Jersey to work with Viktor Petrenko and Galina Zmievskaya.[24] They coached him from June until his retirement in October 2008. When he announced his return to competition in July 2009, he said that he would be coached once again by Peter Grütter in Switzerland.[25]
Lambiel has many sponsors in Switzerland. In 2007, he designed a Swiss watch called the Spin Master.[26]
Lambiel's sponsors[27] include Ford Motor Company, Hublot and Swisscom.
In 2007, Lambiel has appeared in a TV commercial for Fuji Xerox in Japan[28] and Swiss Farmers Union's campaign.[29]
He is the headliner of the ice show Art on Ice, most often held in Lausanne and Zurich, Switzerland.
He also takes part in Moi pour Toit, an NGO involved in building homes and schools for the deprived children of Colombia.
Lambiel has also started a career as a choreographer.[30][31] He has choreographed for:
| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
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| 2010–present | Prelude No.5 by Sergei Rachmaninoff Don't Stop the Music by Jamie Cullum Bring Me to Life by Evanescence |
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| 2009–2010 | William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini |
La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi Otoño Porteño by Ástor Piazzolla and Ensamble Nuevo Tango |
Let the Good Times Roll by Ray Charles In Your Eyes by Anastacia Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel |
| 2008–2009 | Did not compete this season | Did not compete this season | Otoño Porteño by Ástor Piazzolla Tainted Love by Paul Young Freak Like Me by Sugababes |
| 2007–2008 | Carne Cruda by Fernando Egozcue |
Poeta (Flamenco) by Vicente Amigo |
Un Giorno Per Noi from Romeo And Juliet by Josh Groban Father And Son by Ronan Keating Gimme More & Sexy Back by Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake |
| 2006–2007 | Geissel Drama by Christine Lauterburg The Blood Diamond Soundtrack by James Newton Howard |
Poeta by Vicente Amigo The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi |
Fix You by Coldplay New Shoes by Paolo Nutini Stayin' Alive by Robin Gibb |
| 2005–2006 | Malaguena from Once Upon a Time in Mexico Dralion by Cirque du Soleil |
The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi |
You're Beautiful by James Blunt If I Hadn't Got You by Lisa Stansfield I Don't Want to Be by Gavin DeGraw Fix You by Coldplay |
| 2004–2005 | Spanish Caravan by George Winston |
The Truman Show Soundtrack by Philip Glass and Burkhard Dallwitz King Arthur Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer |
E Lucevan e Le Stelle from Tosca by Florent Pagny Light My Fire by The Doors Killer by Seal Billie Jean by Michael Jackson Oceania by Björk |
| 2003–2004 | Objection (techno remix) by Shakira I'm A-Doun For Lack o' Johnnie (A Little Scottish Fantasy) by Vanessa Mae |
Zabuca by Johannes Linstead Loving Paris by Buddha Bar IV Gipsy Dance by Edvin Marton |
Take the Long Way Home by Supertramp |
| 2002–2003 | Laissez-moi Me Griser by Maurice El Medioni, Orchestra Salon Oriental |
Chocolat Soundtrack by Rachel Portman |
Magic Stradivarius by Edvin Marton La Vie Fait Ce Qu'Elle Veut by Julie Zenatti |
| 2001–2002 | Vuelvo Al Sur Ya Basta! by Gotan Project's Revancha del Tango |
Quidam by Cirque du Soleil |
Born by Bond |
| 2000–2001 | La Cumparsita by Xavier Cugat |
Triton by Joseph Racaille |
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| 1999–2000 | La Cumparsita by Xavier Cugat |
Triton by Joseph Racaille |
| Event | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2009–10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games | 15th | 2nd | 4th | |||||
| World Championships | 18th | 10th | 4th | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 5th | |
| European Championships | 4th | 5th | 6th | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | |
| Swiss Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Grand Prix Final | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| Cup of China | 2nd | 3rd | ||||||
| Cup of Russia | 5th | 2nd | 2nd | |||||
| Skate Canada International | 1st | |||||||
| Trophée Lalique | 6th | |||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 1st | |||||||
| Ondrej Nepela Memorial | 1st | |||||||
| Finlandia Trophy | 11th | |||||||
| Les Etoiles de la Glace | 1st |
| Event | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–00 | 2000–01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Championships | 9th | ||||
| World Junior Championships | 10th | 5th | |||
| Swiss Championships | 1st N. | 1st J. | 1st J. | 1st | |
| Junior Grand Prix, Mexico | 2nd | ||||
| Junior Grand Prix, France | 8th | 9th | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Norway | 7th | ||||
| Junior Grand Prix, Japan | 3rd | ||||
| Junior Grand Prix, China | 8th | ||||
| European Youth Olympic Festival | 2nd J. | ||||
| Triglav Trophy | 1st N. | 3rd N. |
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