News and updates à la Française

[NadineWhite]

Hmmm, interesting about Joubert's new program, looking forward to seeing it.

That said, I must say that I was disappointed Brian was unable to compete at French Nationals, if only for the fact that I've been wanting him to tie Alain Giletti's *10* French National Championships. Brian's only 2 away; right now he holds 8 National Titles and sits in second place with two others.

Crossing my fingers Zhenya hits the magical #10 as well at his Nationals this month; he's already the all-time Russian National Record Holder, but #10 would be the cherry on top.

[kwanfan1818]

Then not only would Plushenko have more 6.0's than Michelle Kwan, but also more national titles!

[NadineWhite]

Actually I was thinking about the National Title Record Holders of All-Time:

Men: Ivan Dinev (Bulgaria) = 14 (btw he's married to our own Angela Nikodinov of the USA)


Honorable Mentions with 11: John Ferguson Page (Britian), Oliver Honer (Switzerland), Werner Rittberger (Germany)


Honorable Mentions with 10: Carlo Fassi (Italy), Nobuo Sato (Japan), Bo Mathander (Sweden), Hans Lindh (Sweden), Alain Giletti (France), Laszlo Vajda (Hungary), Marcus Nikkanen (Finland), Gregor Urbas (Slovenia), Martin Stixrud (Norway).


I'm a history buff, what can I say, I love history!

Anyhow, sorry for going off topic, but I couldn't resist. Lucky I didn't add the women, pairs, and dance record holders. On that score, nobody but nobody can touch Danielle Carr-McGrath/Stephen Carr (Australia) *19* National Championships!!!! Unbelieveable!!!!

[skatak]

It would be interesting with ladies/pairs/ice dance too !

I think Bonaly has 9 titles + 1 in pairs, that makes it 10.
The Joly-Brunet should have several together both in singles and pairs.

[Zemgirl]

This came up in the thread about the Oberstdorf gala, but seemed like a better fit here:

On Swedish Eurosport they said tha they closed down his homerink for renovation. He has to drive 1,5 h single way everyday to practise..

oh ~~~~

i hope there has been no fall-outs with anyone ....

Brian needs to sort out his coaching situation, indeed.

Here's what happened: the rink in Poitiers is being renovated to comply with environmental/safety regulations. This will take about a year. As Joubert was happy with his coaching situation in Poitiers (Veronique Guyon and Patrick Gueppe) he tried to make alternate arrangements in the same area for the period of the renovations. However, this proved difficult due to distances, ice availability and the coaches' employment situation. Eventually a decision was made for Joubert to relocate to Paris and work with Annick Dumont. As others here pointed at the time, Dumont is not an ideal solution for him (or for anyone, for that matter), and indeed Joubert had hoped to continue working with Guyon part-time.

I am not sure at what point things became difficult, but shortly after Joubert skipped French Nats (official reason: the flu), news reports suggested that he was not pleased with Dumont as an only (or even primary?) coach, and that this had been discussed with the federation. At the same time, he was also working on a new LP, possibly due to feedback from the federation. This is the newer version of Gladiator that he's done in the holiday galas the past week or so, though presumably with some modifications.

Joubert is apparently back in Poitiers, commuting... somewhere (Tours? Niort?) and planning to reunite with Guyon. I don't know if the FFSG signed off on this move or whether his training on his own is just for the holidays or a long-term thing (bad idea!). I think Gueppe, with whom he worked last season, is now based in Tours. Basically: I have no idea what exactly Joubert is doing and how much of it is in accord with what his federation wants. It is a mystery. Like most of what he does.

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from the Oberstdorf Gala thread:

Incidently this morning German Eurosport also showed the Courchevel gala which was even nicer I thought, Brian was much more "on" than in Oberstdorf, even though he was doing two ballads and then Yagudin followed doing his stuff (a bit out of breath now and then), also Surya Bonaly doing her backflip. I was a bit sad they cut out James/Cipres (I thought they could be seen in the final) but great that they broadcast it at all!

Pechalat/Bourzat's FD as performed in the 12/27 Courcheval Gala via British Eurosport (more Courcheval videos were uploaded by this user, along with Obertsdorf videos): http://youtube.com/watch?v=BkCRa0zLEm0

Is that a different FD dress for Nathalie Pechalet ? It looks shinier material and has red around the edge or is it just me imagining it ?

[marysy]

Apparently Joubert has been training on his own in La Roche sur Yon for the past month, which is an hour and a half away from Poitiers. Guyon is in Poitiers; perhaps the two of them can commute together.

[Zemgirl]

Joubert may be heading back to Paris soon, to work with Katia Krier in Bercy (source). I really don't understand what he's doing this season, but I hope he'll get on the right track sooner rather than later.

[ioana]

What's this refusal to go train in the US all about --did we ever hear more about when/where this was supposed to happen? Either way, Katia Krier seems like a good interim solution, since I don't blame him for steering clear of Dumont, but training on his own so close to a major event is even worse.

[kirkbiggestfan]

Joubert always preferred to be close to home (mommy dearest) and with French or Russian coaches. He does not seem to appreciate the North American style of coaching. (Browning made him an amazing program that gave him the world title though...)
I have the impression to follow a rebellious teenager, but this is a man in his late twenties going for the Olympics.
So much drama in one season:3 coaches, 3 rinks, 2 LP. The gladiator is surprising us with another unexpected move.

[skatak]

he will probably find Claude Péri at Bercy, she was always along Katya Krier at Nats.

[skatak]

There is a short news from the local TV that appeared recently as Brian was doing a gala near Poitiers.
He explained that he trained alone recently, that was good on one hand as he could have an overview of the situation, but on the other hand he needs someone that pushes him.
He left Champigny and Annick (with whom he is still in good terms), as he said there was not enough training and that it was not enough precise technically. The French fed wanted him to go train abroad, but he wants to stick to France where he believes they are good coaches.
From D. Gailhaguet's word (he was at the gala), Brian will train in Bercy until Euros , and then 'we'll see'. The journalist ends saying Brian wants to go to Zagreb but the fed is still not so willing to.

[Zemgirl]

From D. Gailhaguet's word (he was at the gala), Brian will train in Bercy until Euros , and then 'we'll see'. The journalist ends saying Brian wants to go to Zagreb but the fed is still not so willing to.

I assume this means "we want to make sure he's not in embarrassing form but we know he's better than any alternative"? Sort of like the test skate before 2010 Worlds?

Why anyone would think that Joubert might be persuaded to train abroad after having resisted it for his entire career is beyond me. But really, what a mess.

[rayhaneh]

I assume this means "we want to make sure he's not in embarrassing form but we know he's better than any alternative"? Sort of like the test skate before 2010 Worlds?

Why anyone would think that Joubert might be persuaded to train abroad after having resisted it for his entire career is beyond me. But really, what a mess.

You're all asking for too much - he's survived SEVERAL WEEKS in Paris (which is a wooping two hours by train from Poitiers): for him, it must have been like training abroad

That being said, when was the last season when there hasn't been drama of some sort around Brian, and he still manages to get some interesting results in any given season (I know he didn't medal at Nice, but coming 4th given the level of some of the performances we got there wasn't too shabby either....)?

With all of his experience, Brian should have been able to train mostly on his own, at least for a little while, even if the situation is not ideal and Brian isn't exactly known for being the most rigorous skater in his approach to training What I find more worrying is that on top of this, he changed his FS. It's the cumulation of having no coach AND having to work on a new program that may just prove to be too much for him to be ready by next week

On top of that his Inception program looked both more interesting and CoP friendly than pretty much everything he's had so far so I just hope his new Gladiator program will be as well. Right now he's got little chance to medal at Worlds or at Sochi unless the favorites crumble technically while he skates clean (which could happen - I mean stranger things have happened at the Olympics ) because he just doesn't measure up in PCs. Unless he can show a program at Euros and/ or Worlds that will show him in a favorable light in this regard, there's little chance of his PCs then going up next season: even if he has two brilliant programs then, we know it usually takes the judges a while to adjust PCs up accordingly....

Oh well, we'll know soon enough if he can go to Euros. I just hope they really won't send him if he's half ready, because that would serve no purpose whatsoever

[Artifice]

"He left Champigny and Annick (with whom he is still in good terms), as he said there was not enough training and that it was not enough precise technically. The French fed wanted him to go train abroad, but he wants to stick to France where he believes they are good coaches."

There are some contradictions here from Joubert. He thinks that Annick Dumont is not precise enough technically, which actually means that he doesn't consider her as a good coach. But he is still in good term with her ? Huh ? I mean, can you say to everyone including the concerned person that she is a bad professional whom he doesn't respect as a coach, and say "hey, I like you, ok ? I'm leaving you because you are a bad coach but we're still friends." That just can't be, except if everyone is being hypocrit !
At the same time, and having said that he was under bad coaching in France, he refuses to move to another country because in France there are good coaches. But Brian, you have been spending the last 10 years saying that your coaches in France were bad. Except Guyon (even her got her part of critics from Joubert when he left her, but not as much critic as his other coaches). Can't he say that he wants to be trained only by Guyon and find an arrangement with her around Poitier's area ? He could make an agreement with her and pay coaching fees to her directly.
Ok the French fed pressures him to join training national centers in Paris, but he knows in advance that he won't like it (he didn't get introduced to Dumont in 2012...), so why accept and leave everything right away at the worst time of the season ?
What does he want ? Do everything he wants under the French Fed sponsoring ? But if he wants the free coaching he must accept the conditions, and being sent to USA is not the worst thing in life !
Having said that, what I don't really get is why the French fed would have the money to send Joubert train in USA (which is not exactly an economic option) and would be unable to pay for Guyon's coaching in France.
Either you want the advantages (sponsoring) and you accept conditions, or you don't and you finance your own choices. After all Joubert's training is paid by public fundings. If it is to do nothing with that and throw away everything that is given to him, he should just leave his place and allow other skaters to get the money they need to reach the top.

[Iceman]

It might be difficult for him to take his pet snakes with him to another country. lol I wonder if the life-threatening illness he experienced at 11, when one of his kidneys was removed, is something he hasn't ever worked through and causes him to want to be near home.

[Malgosia]

I wonder if the life-threatening illness he experienced at 11, when one of his kidneys was removed, is something he hasn't ever worked through and causes him to want to be near home.

He was 11 months old then - i think he can barely remember that time

[Zemgirl]

At the same time, and having said that he was under bad coaching in France, he refuses to move to another country because in France there are good coaches. But Brian, you have been spending the last 10 years saying that your coaches in France were bad. Except Guyon (even her got her part of critics from Joubert when he left her, but not as much critic as his other coaches). Can't he say that he wants to be trained only by Guyon and find an arrangement with her around Poitier's area ? He could make an agreement with her and pay coaching fees to her directly.
Ok the French fed pressures him to join training national centers in Paris, but he knows in advance that he won't like it (he didn't get introduced to Dumont in 2012...), so why accept and leave everything right away at the worst time of the season ?

I don't think it's necessarily contradictory. For one thing, Joubert wants to continue working with Guyon, but due to the renovation of the Poitiers rink this is not a real option at the moment. Guyon has kids and probably doesn't wish to relocate. He also parted on good terms from Laurent Depouilly in 2010, and his problems with Simond were AFAIK at a personal level. Sometimes people's personalities don't mesh or things don't work over time, as in any relationship - and Joubert, by his own admission, is not the easiest person to work with. I suspect this is one reason why he might like working with Guyon - she's been his coach since childhood and knows how to get through to him.

It might be difficult for him to take his pet snakes with him to another country. lol I wonder if the life-threatening illness he experienced at 11, when one of his kidneys was removed, is something he hasn't ever worked through and causes him to want to be near home.

As Malgosia noted, he was a baby at the time. However, I am sure the medical problems he had and his being the youngest child would have affected how he was treated within the family and might account for what we're seeing.

Joubert has a lot of pets, not just the snakes - he's definitely an animal lover. I think it would be difficult for him to leave them all behind for an extended period of time.

[Artifice]

I don't think it's necessarily contradictory. For one thing, Joubert wants to continue working with Guyon, but due to the renovation of the Poitiers rink this is not a real option at the moment. Guyon has kids and probably doesn't wish to relocate. He also parted on good terms from Laurent Depouilly in 2010, and his problems with Simond were AFAIK at a personal level. Sometimes people's personalities don't mesh or things don't work over time, as in any relationship - and Joubert, by his own admission, is not the easiest person to work with. I suspect this is one reason why he might like working with Guyon - she's been his coach since childhood and knows how to get through to him.

This is actually the problem, he is not easy to work with and himself has difficulties to adapt. As for the Poitier rink's issue, there are other rinks around, and if he really wants to organize training with Guyon he can do so. Actually Joubert trained alone in December at a rink in Poitier's area. He could agree with guyon to go together to the rink and train there.
What can he do and the French fed do if the athlete seems to desagree with everything that is possible and offer to him ? At the end he is the one to be penalized, and at almost 30 he should understand that he must take his destiny in hand.

Joubert has a lot of pets, not just the snakes - he's definitely an animal lover. I think it would be difficult for him to leave them all behind for an extended period of time.

Perhaps, and it's all a matter of choice. If he prefers to stay close to his pets rather than put his energy a year or two in order to win an olympic medal, then good for him, but in that case he can't blame anyone else other than himself if he fails. Yagudin or Lysacek, to mention the olympic gold medalists, did what they had to do to win, I doubt they had difficulties to choose between their comfort at home vs the olympic goal.

[Zemgirl]

This is actually the problem, he is not easy to work with and himself has difficulties to adapt. As for the Poitier rink's issue, there are other rinks around, and if he really wants to organize training with Guyon he can do so. Actually Joubert trained alone in December at a rink in Poitier's area. He could agree with guyon to go together to the rink and train there.
What can he do and the French fed do if the athlete seems to desagree with everything that is possible and offer to him ? At the end he is the one to be penalized, and at almost 30 he should understand that he must take his destiny in hand.

My understanding is that nearby rinks were considered (e.g. Niort) but they couldn't find any long-term options with enough ice time. The rink he was commuting to is 90 minutes away, which would be pretty exhausting for the skater and the coach over time. And again, it might have been a good solution for Joubert but not for Guyon, who has a family that she presumably wants to spend time with.

Perhaps, and it's all a matter of choice. If he prefers to stay close to his pets rather than put his energy a year or two in order to win an olympic medal, then good for him, but in that case he can't blame anyone else other than himself if he fails. Yagudin or Lysacek, to mention the olympic gold medalists, did what they had to do to win, I doubt they had difficulties to choose between their comfort at home vs the olympic goal.

Or maybe Joubert figures that there are no guarantees that moving to North America will give him an extra boost, and prefers to make decisions based on his personal life and not just his professional life. I think that's actually a pretty healthy approach.

And indeed, going to North America is not always the best idea. Carolina Kostner tried training with Frank Carroll, it was a disaster, but she's had nothing but success since returning to Oberstdorf. Moving to Toronto has not been a miraculous fix for what ailed Tomas Verner. Joubert has had really good results despite staying in France his entire career and even though he was not considered the most talented skater in the field for much of it. So maybe he's doing something right after all.