“The French media cover figure skating from a negative angle. Sport has a very bad image at the moment. Interview with Brian Joubert

Brian Joubert – the most successful French singles skater, world champion and three-time winner of the European Championship. In 2014, the skater retired. He now lives in his hometown of Poitiers and works as a coach.

A year ago, Brian found himself at the center of a major scandal; he was accused of cruel treatment of athletes and was almost deprived of his coaching license.

In an interview with , Joubert told how he managed to restore justice and return to work, spoke about the problems of figure skating in his country and explained why he still has not found a life partner .

— Brian, tell us about your current life. What are you doing?

— I work as a figure skating coach in Poitiers, it’s my hometown. In winter, I sometimes participate in ice shows.

— What level of athletes do you train?

— Skaters of all levels: those who skate for fun, and athletes from the French team who compete on the international platform. I really want to take a kid starting out and take them from the basics to the highest medals.

— What elements does your best athlete master?

— I have a Japanese skater who does all the triple jumps and is very close to the quadruple jumps. He and I are learning the Salchow and the Toe Loop.

– What shape are you in? Can you skip anything?

—To be honest, I’m in a very bad state. Of course I can do a few triple jumps, but it’s not easy for me. To get in shape, you need to lose 12 kilos.

— 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 athletic 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 and the mistreatment of children. My sport now has a very bad image.

— Is there a children’s figure skating industry in France?

— Today, fewer children have started figure skating. The parents are afraid.

– What scares them?

— Sexual problems and child abuse.

— It’s hard to imagine a great sport without the inability to make an athlete’s voice heard.

– Certainly. But French coaches must behave with great caution. Otherwise, we risk losing our jobs.

– Can you tell your student that he is stupid if he did the exercise wrong and does not listen to you?

– Of course not. It’s impossible. Even if an athlete has extra pounds that prevent him from skating, I can’t talk to him about it. I understand that you have to respect children, but sometimes you have to put pressure on an athlete to get results.

Last year I almost lost my license and the ability to coach.

— What are the accusations against you?

“They said I was too hard on the kids.” Some parents wanted to ruin my career.

— How did you manage to solve the problem?

– Conducted an investigation. It was decided that I was a good coach and they allowed me to continue working.

— Do you think that an overly loyal approach towards children is hindering the development of figure skating in France?

– Yes of course. In my time, such problems did not exist.

— Is it expensive to do figure skating in France? How much money do you need per month?

— Around 250-350 euros per month if you ride at a high level. Additionally, you have to pay the choreographer separately.

– Imagine if a French child could train with Eteri Tutberidze or Tatyana Tarasova…

– What, he would be shocked!

— Do you still have friends in Russia? Which Russian figure skaters do you keep in touch with?

— I always communicate with Russian athletes. During his skating career he was close to Alexei Yagudin and friends with Evgeni Plushenko and Sergei Voronov. I also have fans in Russia, they write to me and support me. I have always liked the Russian audience.

— How did you react to the exclusion of Russians from international tournaments? Has the level of figure skating dropped without the Russians?

— I’m really sorry for the Russian figure skaters. I don’t understand this decision. It was always interesting to compete with them. With the Russians, any tournament – especially the European Championship – seems more competitive. The level has dropped, this applies to women’s singles and pairs skating.

— Name the three best singles skaters in the history of figure skating.

– What a difficult question… Alexey Yagudin, Yuzuru Hanyu and Ilya Malinin. I also enjoyed watching the skating of Daisuke Takahashi, Denis Ten, Jason Brown, Evgeni Plushenko.

– Plushenko or Yagudin? The main question of Russian figure skating.

-They are both amazing!

— Were you surprised by Malinin’s quadruple axel?

– Yes, his jump looks very easy. I’m sure Malinin can do more.

— Have you heard about Roman Kostomarov’s illness? Now he is already on the ice and wearing prosthetics.

— With Roman, we participated in several tournaments, then skated in the same shows. He is a very kind person. I saw how he skated after his illness and I was impressed! He is very strong and has become an example for all of us: he shows that we should never give up or lose faith, regardless of the difficult circumstances of life.

— Have you followed the Kamila Valieva doping scandal? How did you react to the court decision?

– I was looking. Kamila is my favorite figure skater. I’m really sorry for her.

— When was the last time you were in Russia?

— Probably in 2017. Then I performed in the show “The Snow King” by Plushenko. I hope I can come back to Russia soon.

I repeat, I really love your audience. Russians know figure skating and understand the rules. They supported me during all tournaments, even when I was competing against their athletes.

— How is it going in your personal life? Do you have a girlfriend or wife?

– No I’m free.

– For what?

— For me, the priority in life is work. I train and put a lot of effort into it. Until I found a woman willing to accept it.

– What types of girls do you like?

— I don’t have a specific type. I rely on my inner feelings and sensations. Of course, she must be intelligent and have a sense of humor. Girls used to really like me, but now I don’t know.

– Do you want a family?

– Yes. But I will only be ready to create it with the right girl I love. If that doesn’t happen, I’m prepared to be left without a family.

— Do you review your performance? Do you miss sport?

— I like watching my performances, but I don’t miss sport. I ended my career because it was difficult for me to skate. Although I miss the thrill and excitement that tournaments provide.

— Which programs did you prefer?

– “The Matrix”, I felt very confident in this image. I love James Bond and Gladiator.

I loved Nikolai Morozov’s productions. He’s the best choreographer. He can find the right look for any skater. I also remember working with Tatyana Tarasova.

— Do you have a relationship with Tatiana Anatolyevna?

– No, I’m afraid of disturbing her.

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear from you.” How did you communicate? As far as I know, she doesn’t speak English well.

— Lesha Yagudin helped us. He trained with us and translated certain things.

— You are not in contact with Yagudin now either?

– No. Some time ago I changed my phone number and lost all my contacts.

— What are your hobbies besides figure skating?

— I like taking care of my pets and riding motorcycles.

— Do you live in a house or an apartment? What animals do you have?

– I have a house. And I have a lot of animals: dogs, cats, parrots, a snake, a lizard and a turtle.

– Don’t you feel alone?

– No, I have a lot of friends, I communicate with different people. But of course, I want to share the happy moments of my life with a woman.

-Are you a happy person?

– Yes.

– What makes you happy?

— My students and their successes on the ice.

More sports news in our telegram channel .