Brian Joubert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brian Joubert |
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Joubert in 2019
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| Personal information | |
| Country represented | France |
| Born | 20 September 1984 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 famous French figure skating coach and former competitor. He was the World champion in 2007. He also won the European Championships three times (2004, 2007, and 2009). Brian was also the Grand Prix Final champion in 2006–07. In France, he won the French National title eight times.
Overall, he earned six medals at the World Championships and ten at the European Championships. He also competed for France in four Winter Olympics. Brian 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 events.
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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, Brian had a serious illness. Because of this, one of his kidneys had to be removed.
Brian was very popular in his home country, France. He often appeared in the media after his big wins. He loves animals and has many pets at home. Brian is also a big fan of motorcycles and car racing. In March 2006, a book about him called Brian Joubert: le Feu sur la Glace (Brian Joubert: the fire on ice) was published. Another book, Brian Joubert sur papier glacé (Brian Joubert on glossy paper), came out in February 2010.
Brian's Skating Career
Starting to Skate
Brian Joubert began skating when he was four years old. He skated with his sisters. At first, he wanted to play hockey. But he became very interested in the jumps in figure skating.
He did not compete much internationally as a junior skater. His first big international junior competition was the 2000 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 2000. He finished 15th there. The next year, he placed 4th in his junior Grand Prix events. He did not make the French team for the 2001 Junior Worlds. After the 2000–2001 season, Brian started competing as a senior skater.
Senior Competitions
Early Senior Years (2001–2006)
Brian first competed as a senior at the 2001 Skate America. He finished 9th. At the French Nationals, he won a bronze medal. This allowed him to compete at the 2002 European Championships. At the Europeans, Brian surprised everyone by winning a bronze medal. This earned him a spot on the 2002 Olympic team. Brian was the youngest French athlete at the Salt Lake City Olympics. He finished 14th there. The next month, he moved up to 13th place at the 2002 World Championships.
Brian did even better 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. This 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 wins in a row! He won a silver medal at the 2003 Europeans. He 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 to win the event in 40 years. He also 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. He also earned 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 make it to the final. He won a bronze medal at the 2006 Europeans. Many in the French media thought Brian would win an Olympic medal. But he finished 6th at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He did better at the 2006 World Championships. He won the short program and finished with a silver medal.
Best Season (2006–2007)
Brian 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. Then, he won his European title again at the 2007 European Championships.
In February 2007, Brian got hurt while training. His skate blade cut his right foot during a triple lutz. This injury needed stitches. He returned to the ice a few days later. But the injury did not fully heal until just before the 2007 World Championships. He could not properly practice lutzes and flips. Even with this problem, Brian skated well in Tokyo. He earned his first World title! He finished 3rd in the long program. But he had a big enough lead from the short program to win overall. He scored a personal best of 240.85 points. French newspapers put him on their front pages.
Later Seasons (2007–2014)
Brian started the 2007–2008 season by winning Skate Canada. He had to pull out of his second Grand Prix event, the Trophée Eric Bompard, because he was sick. He felt tired for several weeks after. But Brian still won his sixth French national title in a row. At this point, he had won ten events in a row over two seasons. At the 2008 European Championships, Brian won the bronze medal. He had a fall 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.
In the 2008–09 Grand Prix season, Brian finished 4th at the Trophée Eric Bompard. He then won the Cup of Russia. This helped him qualify for the Grand Prix Final. He had to withdraw from the Final 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 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.
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In the 2009–10 Grand Prix season, Brian again finished fourth at the Trophée Eric Bompard. Then he won the NHK Trophy for the first time. This allowed him to qualify for the 2009–10 Grand Prix Final. However, he got a serious foot injury in practice in November 2009. His left blade cut his right foot very deeply. This was similar to his 2007 injury, but worse. 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 in 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. He ended up in 16th place. Brian 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." He had to pass a test to be sent to the World Championships. Brian made an amazing comeback at that event. In the short program, he landed a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination. He also landed two more triple jumps. 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 was unsure if he would be able to compete again. His main goal was to get his confidence back.
For the 2010–2011 Grand Prix season, Brian was assigned to 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 to win the Trophée Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix final. Brian had a difficult short program and withdrew before the long program because of a stomach illness. Brian recovered in time for the French National Championships. He won his seventh national title.
Brian was seventh after the short program at the 2011 European Championships. But he was first in the free skate. He won the silver medal. His teammate Florent Amodio won gold. This was Brian's tenth medal at the Europeans. This tied the record for most medals by a male skater at the Europeans. Brian later said he felt less pressure with Amodio doing well. "It's good for me; [the media] are no longer focused on just me."
Brian hurt his left knee during the season. By the time of the 2011 Worlds, he was getting injections to help with the pain. He made a mistake on his quad jump. This left him 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. He finished fourth in that part, moving up to eighth overall. This was the first time he 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.
After the season, Brian said the 2010–11 season did not go as he hoped. But he still had a strong career record. He thought he might have been tired after so many years. He was also worried about his left knee. He put more pressure on his hips to make up for the pain. After the season, Brian saw different doctors about his knee injury. They told him he might not fully get his strength back if he had surgery. So he decided to follow a strict diet and do special exercises to balance his muscles.
At the start of the 2011–12 season, Brian said he would keep 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 Canada to work with Wilson.
Brian planned to start the 2011–12 season at the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy. But he withdrew before the event. He also had to withdraw from his Grand Prix events, the 2011 Cup of China and the 2011 Trophée Eric Bompard. He hurt his back in practice before the Cup of China. Even though he was not fully healed, Brian returned for the 2012 French National Championships. He won his eighth national title. Brian did not do well at the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships. He placed 8th. This was the first time he did not win 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. He finished fourth. Brian said that skating at the World Championships in France was the best part of his career. He was very happy with his performance. Brian's last event in the 2011–12 season was the 2012 World Team Trophy. He competed for 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 at the Cup of China. But he withdrew because of stomach pain and fever. Brian returned to skate at 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 changed his free program music to Gladiator. At the 2013 Europeans, Brian skated well in the short program. He placed third in that part. 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 season was 2013–2014. 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. In October, Brian was removed from the list for Skate America. Some thought this was because he withdrew from the Masters competition. But the French skating group said he was sick. Brian later withdrew from another event because of a back injury. He returned to compete 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 Frenchman at the event. He competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics. This was his fourth time at the Olympics. Brian was the oldest male skater in the event. He 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 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 skaters like Denis Ten. He also trained in Moscow with Katarina Gerboldt and coach Oleg Vasiliev. His mother said this was a test. She said he did not plan to compete for Russia. Brian had back problems before. He said his health would help him decide if he would compete in pairs. In November 2014, he confirmed he would not compete anymore.
In autumn 2014, he was on the TV show Danse avec les Stars (the French version of Dancing with the Stars). He finished third. Brian is studying to get a coaching diploma. He wants to be a skating coach. He coaches in Poitiers. He has worked with skaters like Adam Siao Him Fa and Lea Serna.
Skating Style
Brian was known as a very strong jumper 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. He landed two toe loops (one in a combination) and a Salchow. He was the first skater to do this under the new judging system. Brian has said that he thinks quadruple jumps are important for the future of figure skating.
A TV show called "Miracle Body" said Brian's stomach muscles are very strong. This helps him keep his balance during turns. His leg strength was like that of a track-and-field athlete who can run 100 meters very fast. A sports doctor from the University of Poitiers said Brian jumps at the best possible angle for quadruple jumps.
Coaches and Training
Brian always trained in Poitiers during his career. He wanted to stay close to his family. He trained for 15 years with Veronique Guyon. She left her job in 2003 to spend more time with her family. Brian then started training with Laurent Depouilly. He also had Alexei Yagudin as an "advisor." Brian later stopped working with Yagudin. This was because Yagudin did not like Nikolai Morozov, Brian's choreographer at the time.
Brian felt he did not get enough support from his coach. So he fired Depouilly and went back to Guyon for a short time. But Guyon wanted Brian to stop working with his mother. She also wanted 10% of his prize money. Their relationship got worse, and they stopped working together. Brian then worked with Andrei Berenzitsev. When Berenzitsev stopped coaching, Brian briefly worked with Annick Dumont. But they stopped because she lived in Paris, and Brian wanted to stay in Poitiers. In September 2006, he started working with Jean-Christophe Simond. Brian left Simond after the 2009 Worlds. He said he did not trust him anymore. He returned to Laurent Depouilly in April 2009 and trained with him until May 2010. Brian later went back 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 torn down to build a new one. In September 2012, Brian moved to Paris. He trained with Annick Dumont. He stayed in touch with Guyon. Brian lived at a sports institute. He hoped to return to the Poitiers rink in June 2013. By January 2013, he was back in Poitiers. He trained in La Roche-sur-Yon. Later, he trained with Katia Krier in Paris. The Poitiers rink was ready earlier than expected. So Brian returned there in September 2013 to work with Veronique Guyon again.
In an interview in April 2012, Brian said he likes to practice programs in parts. He likes to train pieces over and over to know them by heart. He said it is important to combine practicing parts and full programs. He does not like to do full run-throughs all the time.
Public Life
Brian has received several awards. These include the François Lafon Prize for young talent in 2003. He also won the City of Paris prize in 2007. He won a special prize from the French Senate for Sports in 2007.
Brian has supported groups that help children with Williams syndrome. He also supports animal rescue groups. He has taken part in many local events in Poitiers.
Brian often performs in ice shows. He has toured with the French show Stars Sur Glace (Stars on Ice). He has also performed in other countries like Japan and South Korea.
Brian has appeared on many TV shows. These include Fort Boyard, a popular adventure game show. He also had a main role in a mini-series called Brisons la Glace in 2012. Brian has been in advertisements for the French Olympic committee. He has also promoted his hometown of Poitiers and sponsors like Damart. He has worked with the French Alps ski resort Vaujany. In January 2014, he supported a local politician in the Poitiers mayoral election.
Images for kids
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Joubert (center) with the other medalists at the 2009 NHK Trophy
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Joubert performs his Madeleine exhibition at the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard gala
See also
In Spanish: Brian Joubert para niños
