World champion Joubert: “No one talks about figure skating in France, my sport has a very bad image”

World champion Brian Joubert told that figure skating was losing popularity in France and that local media were covering the sport in a negative light.

Joubert is world champion, three-time winner of the European Championship and eight times French champion. The athlete retired from the sport in 2014. Joubert currently works as a coach in his hometown of Poitiers.

— After finishing their careers, Russian figure skaters perform in ice shows, some appear on television and earn money through advertising. What is the fate of the former figure skater in France?

— I have participated in ice shows all over the world, toured France more than once, and also participated in the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.” But I notice that in France figure skating is not as popular as in Russia. It is difficult to earn a lot of money here after finishing your career.

– Do you feel like a star? Do they recognize you in the street?

– I feel like an ordinary person. I’m not a star, just a skater who managed to win the world championship. But in France, only three athletes were able to win this title. So I always stand out from the others.

— How do you assess the level of popularity of figure skating in France?

— When I was an athlete, figure skating was very popular. All the tournaments were broadcast on television, journalists were interested in the skaters, wrote and talked about us. Nowadays, no one talks about figure skating anymore. In recent years, French media have covered it in a negative light. They talk about refereeing problems, child abuse. My sport now has a bad image,” Joubert told .

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