Brian Joubert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brian Joubert
Joubert in 2019
Personal information
Country represented	France
Born	(1984-09-20) 20 September 1984 (age 40) Poitiers, France
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Former coach	Oleg Vasiliev, Veronique Guyon, Nikolai Morozov, Annick Dumont, Katia Krier, Patrick Gueppe, Laurent Depouilly, Jean-Christophe Simond, Andrei Berezintsev
Choreographer	Albena Denkova, Maxim Staviski, Nikolai Morozov, Laurie May
Former choreographer	Kurt Browning, Tatiana Tarasova, Evgeni Platov, Antonio Najarro, Romain Haguenauer, David Wilson, Giuseppe Arena
Skating club	Club France F.F.S.G.
Training locations	Poitiers
Former training locations	Courchevel, Paris, Vaujany, La Roche-sur-Yon
Began skating	1988
Retired	February 14, 2014
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	244.58 2012 Worlds
Short program	88.55 2010 Europeans
Free skate	161.11 2012 Worlds

Brian Joubert (born September 20, 1984) is a French figure skating coach and former competitor. He is famous for being the 2007 World champion. He also won the European Championships three times (in 2004, 2007, and 2009). Brian was also the 2006–07 Grand Prix Final champion. In France, he won the French National champion title eight times (from 2003 to 2008, and again in 2011 and 2012).

Overall, Brian Joubert earned six World medals and ten European medals. He also represented France in four Winter Olympic Games. He is one of only four male skaters to achieve a "Grand Slam." This means he won all major international competitions in the same season. He was also the first man to land 100 quadruple jumps in international competitions.

About Brian Joubert

Brian Joubert was born in Poitiers, France. His parents are Raymonde and Jean-Michel Joubert. He has two older sisters named Sarah and Alexandra. When he was 11 months old, he had a serious illness. Because of this, one of his kidneys had to be removed.

Brian enjoys keeping many pets at home. He is also a big fan of motorcycles and car racing. In March 2006, a book about his life was published in French. It was called Brian Joubert: le Feu sur la Glace, which means "Brian Joubert: the fire on ice." Another book about him came out in February 2010.

Skating Career

Starting Out

Brian Joubert began skating when he was four years old. He skated with his sisters. At first, he wanted to play hockey. But he soon became very interested in the jumps in figure skating.

Brian competed in a few international events as a junior skater. His first big international competition was the 2000 World Junior Championships. He finished 15th there. The next season, he placed 4th in his junior Grand Prix events. He then finished 14th at the senior national championships. This meant he did not qualify for the 2001 Junior Worlds. After the 2000–2001 season, Brian became a senior skater.

Senior Competitions

Early Success (2001–2006)

Joubert at the 2004 Europeans

Brian Joubert made his first international senior appearance at the 2001 Skate America. He placed 9th in this event. At the French National Championships, he won a bronze medal. This allowed him to compete at the 2002 European Championships. At the Europeans, Brian surprised many people by winning the bronze medal. This earned him a spot on the 2002 Olympic team. Brian was the youngest French athlete at the Salt Lake City games. He finished 14th there. The next month, he moved up to 13th place at the 2002 World Championships.

Brian improved even more in the 2002–2003 season. He won his first international title at the 2002 Skate America. He also placed fifth at the 2002 Trophée Lalique. These results helped him qualify for his first Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, where he won a bronze medal. That season, Brian also won the French national championships. This was the first of six national titles in a row for him. He won a silver medal at the 2003 Europeans. He then finished 6th at the 2003 Worlds.

In the 2003–2004 season, Brian won another medal on the Grand Prix circuit. At the 2004 European Championships, he became the first Frenchman in 40 years to win the event. He was also the first non-Russian to win since 1996. He won his first World medal, a silver, at the World Championships that year.

The 2004–2005 season started well for Brian. He won two Grand Prix medals and a silver medal at the 2005 European Championships. However, he dropped to 6th place at the World Championships. Brian worked hard in 2005-2006, but his results were not always consistent. He won two Grand Prix medals but did not qualify for the final. He also won a bronze medal at the 2006 Europeans. The French media saw Brian as a top medal contender for the Olympics. But he finished a disappointing sixth at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He performed better at the 2006 World Championships. He won the short program and finished with a silver medal.

Winning Big (2006–2007)

Brian Joubert won every event he entered in the 2006–2007 season. This included his two Grand Prix events, the Trophée Eric Bompard and the Cup of Russia. He also won the Grand Prix Final in Saint Petersburg. After that, he won his European title again at the 2007 European Championships in Warsaw.

Brian got injured while training in February 2007. His skate blade cut his right foot during a triple lutz. This injury needed stitches to his tendon. He returned to the ice just a few days later. But the injury did not fully heal until close to the 2007 World Championships. He could not properly practice lutzes and flips. Despite this, Brian skated well in Tokyo and won his first World title. He finished 3rd in the long program. But he had built up a big enough lead in the short program to win overall. He achieved a personal best score of 240.85. French newspapers like Le Monde and L'Équipe featured him on their front pages.

More Medals (2007–2008)

Brian Joubert started the 2007–2008 season by winning Skate Canada. He had to withdraw from the Trophée Eric Bompard, his second Grand Prix event, because he was sick. He felt tired for several weeks afterward. But Brian still managed to win his sixth national title in a row. At this point, he had won ten events in a row over two seasons. At the 2008 European Championships in January 2008, Brian won the bronze medal. He had a fall on the triple axel in the short program and made some mistakes in the long program. In March 2008, he competed at the 2008 World Championships. He was sixth after the short program. But he came back strong to win the silver medal.

Challenges and Triumphs (2008–2009)

Joubert at the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard.

In the 2008–09 Grand Prix season, Brian Joubert finished 4th at the Trophée Eric Bompard. He then won the Cup of Russia. This qualified him for the Grand Prix Final. He had to withdraw from the Final before the long program because of a back injury. He also withdrew from the 2009 French Championships. He changed his long program for the first time in the middle of a season.

At the 2009 European Championships, Brian scored a new personal best in the short program. He finished second in the long program. His total score was high enough to win his third European title. At the 2009 World Championships, he led after the short program. But he had problems with some of his jumps in the long program. He finished third overall. He then changed coaches before the World Team Trophy. He finished second in the men's event there. Team France finished 4th.

Olympic Hopes (2009–2010)

Joubert at the 2010 World Championships

In the 2009–10 Grand Prix season, Brian Joubert again finished fourth at the Trophée Eric Bompard. He then won the NHK Trophy for the first time. These results allowed him to qualify for the 2009–10 Grand Prix Final. However, he got a serious foot injury in practice in late November 2009. His left blade cut his right foot deeply during a triple lutz attempt. This was similar to his 2007 injury, but more serious. Brian needed surgery to fix tendon and ligament damage. He had to withdraw from the Grand Prix Final and the French Championships. He could not train normally for several weeks. Brian returned in time for the 2010 European Championships. He set a new personal best score for the short program. But he struggled in the free skate, finishing third overall.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, many thought Brian could win a gold medal. But he skated poorly in the short program and finished 16th. He told reporters, "It's another disappointment at the Olympic Games. These Games have beaten me. I just can't do it at the Olympic Games. Every time it goes badly. I don't understand why." Brian had to pass a test to be sent to the World Championships. He made an impressive comeback at that event. In the short program, he landed a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination and two more triples. He finished third in that part of the competition. He then landed two more quadruple toe loops in the free skate. But he made mistakes on some other jumps. He finished fourth in that part and won his fifth medal in a row at Worlds, a bronze. Brian later said he was very proud of his performance. He added that he had been unsure if he could compete again. His main goal was to get his confidence back.

Later Seasons (2010–2014)

Joubert, Florent Amodio and Tomas Verner on the podium at the 2011 Europeans

Brian Joubert's events for the 2010–2011 Grand Prix season were the 2010 Cup of China and the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard. He started the season with a fourth-place finish at his first Grand Prix. He needed a win at the Trophée Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix final. But Brian had a difficult short program and withdrew before the long program due to illness. Brian recovered in time for the French National Championships. He won his seventh national title there.

He was seventh after the short program at the 2011 European Championships. But he was first in the free skate and won the silver medal. His fellow countryman Florent Amodio took the gold. This was Brian's tenth medal at the competition. This tied the record for most medals by a male singles skater at the Europeans. Brian later said he felt less pressure with Amodio's success. "It's good for me; [the media] are no longer focused on just me," he said.

Brian injured his left knee during the season. By the time of the 2011 Worlds, he was getting injections to manage the pain. A mistake on his quad jump left Brian in ninth place after the short program. In the free skating, Brian cut his hand on his skate blade. He needed medical attention afterward. But he still skated well and finished fourth in that part. He moved up one spot to eighth overall. This was the first time he had finished off the podium at Worlds since 2005. But Brian said he was very happy with his free skate. He called it the most emotional of his career. He added that it felt good to finish his season with such a performance.

In an interview after the season, Brian said that the 2010–11 season had not gone as he hoped. But he still had a strong record throughout his career. He added that "perhaps I was burned out after so many years. I was also worried about my left knee." After the season, Brian saw different doctors about his knee injury. He was told he might not fully recover if he had surgery. So he decided to follow a strict diet and do specific exercises to improve his muscles.

Joubert at 2012 Worlds.

Joubert at 2012 Worlds.

At the start of the 2011–12 season, Brian announced he would continue working with coach Veronique Guyon. He also worked with choreographer David Wilson. He spent three weeks in Sweden at a summer camp. Then he went to Toronto, Canada, to work with Wilson.

Brian planned to start the 2011–12 season at the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy. But he withdrew before the event. His Grand Prix events were the 2011 Cup of China and the 2011 Trophée Eric Bompard. He got a back injury in practice before the Cup of China. So he withdrew from both events. Even though he was not fully healed, Brian returned in time for the 2012 French National Championships. He won his eighth national title there. Brian did not do well at the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships and placed 8th. This was the first time he had not won a medal at the Europeans. His next event was the 2012 International Challenge Cup. He finished first in the free skating and overall. He also landed two different quad jumps in the short program.

At the 2012 Worlds, Brian skated his best short program in two years. He set new personal best scores in the free skating and overall to finish fourth. Brian said that skating at the World Championships in France was a highlight of his career. He was very happy with his performance and looked forward to the next season. Brian's final event in the 2011-12 season was the 2012 World Team Trophy. He competed as part of Team France and finished third in the men's event.

Brian was assigned to the Cup of China and the Trophée Eric Bompard for the 2012–13 Grand Prix series. He placed 7th in the short program. But he withdrew from the Cup of China due to stomach pain and fever. Brian returned to the ice in time for the Trophee Eric Bompard. But he said he was not fully ready because of his illness. He finished third in the short program and fourth overall.

Brian withdrew from the 2013 French National Championships because of the flu. In January 2013, he decided to use a new free program. At the 2013 Europeans, Brian skated well in the short program and placed third. But he dropped to fourth overall after the free skate. He then competed at the 2013 Challenge Cup. He successfully defended his title there. He finished 9th at the 2013 World Championships.

Brian's last competitive season was 2013–2014. His Grand Prix events were Skate America and the 2013 Rostelecom Cup. He returned to Poitiers and coach Veronique Guyon in September 2013. He withdrew from a competition called Master's de Patinage. He said he needed more training time to get ready for the season.

In October, Brian was removed from the Skate America entry list. The French ice skating federation said he withdrew due to illness. Brian later withdrew from the Rostelecom Cup because of a back injury. He returned to competition at the 2013 NRW Trophy, where he finished second. At the 2014 French Nationals, Brian finished second in the short program and first in the long program. He won a silver medal overall.

Brian was 8th at the 2014 European Championships. He was the top French skater at the event. He competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics. This was his fourth time at the Olympics. He was the oldest competitor in the men's event. Brian was 7th in the short program and 14th in the free skate. He finished 13th overall. He announced his retirement from competitive skating right after the free skate. He said he wanted to become a coach.

After Competing

In May 2014, Brian Joubert started learning pair skating in Caen. He trained with Daria Popova and coach Jean-François Ballester. For a few days in June 2014, Brian worked as a coach in Kazakhstan. He worked with Denis Ten and Alexei Yagudin. From July 7 to July 13, he trained in Moscow with Katarina Gerboldt and coach Oleg Vasiliev. His mother said it was a test and that he did not plan to compete for Russia. Brian had back problems before. He said his health would affect his decision about competing in pairs. In November 2014, he confirmed he would not compete again.

In autumn 2014, he took part in the fifth season of TF1's Danse avec les Stars, a popular dance show. He finished third.

Brian is studying to get a coaching diploma. He plans to become a skating coach. He coaches in Poitiers. He has worked with skaters like Romain Ponsart, Adam Siao Him Fa, and Lea Serna. He also helped Laurine Lecavelier prepare for the 2019 European Championships.

Skating Style

Brian Joubert was known for his strong jumps during his career. He could land the quadruple salchow jump in competitions. He also had a very consistent quadruple toe loop jump. In 2013, he became the first skater to land 100 quadruple jumps in international competitions. At the 2006 Cup of Russia competition, Brian landed three quadruple jumps in his free skate. These included two toe loops and a Salchow. He was the first skater to do this under the new judging system. Brian has said that he believes quadruple jumps are important for the future of figure skating.

According to a Japanese TV show, Brian's abdominal muscles are very strong. This helps him keep his balance during turns. His leg strength was compared to that of a track-and-field athlete. A sports science doctor said Brian jumps at the best possible angle for quadruple jumps.

Coaches and Training

Joubert with coach Veronique Guyon at the 2010 Cup of China

Brian Joubert always kept his training base in Poitiers. This allowed him to stay close to his family. He trained for 15 years with Veronique Guyon. She left her position in 2003. Brian then started training with Laurent Depouilly. He also had Alexei Yagudin as an advisor. Brian later stopped working with Yagudin.

Brian later returned to Guyon for a short time. He then worked with Andrei Berenzitsev. After that, he briefly worked with Annick Dumont. But they parted ways because she lived in Paris and he wanted to stay in Poitiers. In September 2006, he began working with Jean-Christophe Simond. Brian left Simond after the 2009 Worlds. He returned to Laurent Depouilly in April 2009 and worked with him until May 2010. Brian later returned to his first coach, Veronique Guyon. He also worked with Patrick Gueppe for part of the 2011-12 season.

After the 2012 World Championships, Brian said he would train in different places. His home rink in Poitiers was going to be rebuilt. In September 2012, Brian moved to Paris. He trained with Annick Dumont and stayed in touch with Guyon. Brian lived at a sports institute. By January 2013, he had returned to Poitiers. He trained in La Roche-sur-Yon. Later, he trained with Katia Krier in Paris. The Poitiers rink was ready in time for the 2013–2014 season. Brian returned there in September to work with Veronique Guyon.

In an April 2012 interview, Brian said he likes to practice programs in parts. He said, "I like to train the programs in pieces over and over to really know them by heart."

Public Life

Brian Joubert received several awards. These include the François Lafon Prize in 2003 and the City of Paris prize in 2007. He also won a special prize from the French Senate in 2007.

Brian has supported groups that help children with Williams syndrome. He also supports animal assistance groups. He has taken part in many local events in Poitiers.

Brian has performed in ice shows, mostly with the French show Stars Sur Glace (Stars on Ice). He has also performed in other countries like Monaco, Italy, the United States, Russia, Japan, and South Korea.

Brian has appeared on many TV shows. These include Tenue de Soiree, Tous ensemble, and the adventure game show Fort Boyard. He also had a main role in the mini-series Brisons la Glace in 2012.

Brian has appeared in advertisements. He has been a spokesperson for the French Olympic committee and his hometown of Poitiers. He has also worked with sponsors like Damart, Risport Skate, Eric Bompard, MK, LPG Systems, and Rossignol. He also partnered with the French Alps ski resort Vaujany.

Competitive Highlights

Joubert (center) with the other medalists at the 2009 NHK Trophy

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Images for kids

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  Joubert performs his Madeleine exhibition at the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard gala

See also

In Spanish: Brian Joubert para niños