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The Road to Dortmund, Part 3

Brian Joubert at 2002 Smart Ones Skate America Photo by Paul Harvath

Brian Joubert, Prophet

(2/24/04) - At the 2003 European Championships in Malmo, Sweden, few people took Brian Joubert seriously when he said of champion Evgeny Plushenko, "He is in first place now, but next year he will be second." Most people took it as a joke and laughed.

People are not laughing at what Joubert says now.

The 19-year-old French skater also mentioned last year that he wanted to be European champion, World champion and Olympic champion.

One down, two to go.

In early February at this year's European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Joubert beat Plushenko and had quadruple jumps in all three phases of the competition - qualifying, short program and free skate. His quad-triple combination came almost two minutes into his "Matrix" free skate, astonishing many people after he did a quad as his opening jump.

Budapest seems to be a good place for French male singles skaters. Former World champion Alain Calmat was the last Frenchman to win a European singles title in 1964. He also won in 1963 in Budapest.

"Too bad the Olympic Games don't take place in Hungary," Joubert said.

Granted, Joubert's way to the title was made easier when Plushenko had difficulty with his free skate. The three-time European and two-time World champion missed two triple Axel attempts before succeeding, and then he fell on a triple flip. It would have been interesting if Plushenko had skated cleanly.

It's been a whirlwind two years for Joubert. Before the 2002 European Championships in Lausanne, he was France's third-ranked men's skater. Even that was a surprise since he was 14th at the 2001 French national championships.

A consistent performance helped him to third place at the 2002 Europeans, and suddenly the 17-year-old was headed to the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games. Few could forget how stunned he was when the French Federation announced it.

That seemed to turn things around. He gained confidence and became the French champion the following season against most of the same competitors who beat him the year before. Then came a silver medal at the 2003 Europeans in Malmo, Sweden, and his prophetic statement to beat Plushenko.

Things changed again in his favor in November when Alexei Yagudin, the Olympic champion and Plushenko's rival over the past four years, announced that he intended to help Joubert. Yagudin had retired from competitive skating weeks before and had taken to helping students of Tatiana Tarasova and seemed to like it. He also liked Joubert.

"Brian reminds me a lot of myself," wrote Yagudin in a letter announcing the partnership. "He is a fighter. Together we will fight all the obstacles that face us."

Yagudin was at Joubert's side when the French skater won his second national title late last year. Although he wasn't in Budapest to see Joubert, Yagudin kept in contact by phone and reportedly was "jumping around the room" in the United States (where he is currently on tour) when he found out Joubert beat out Plushenko.

"Alexei helped me before the French championship," Joubert said. "Now we keep contact by Internet, and he gives advice. He gives me tips on jumps and mental preparation."

Some - including Plushenko's coach Alexei Mishin - have said that Joubert has too much of Yagudin's style in his skating. Joubert disagrees.

"Alexei stays a model for me and I am very happy that he accepted to come to work with me and Laurent (Depouilly, Joubert's coach)," Joubert said. "But my name is Joubert not Yagudin. I have my proper style and I am going to use it. Alexei is there to help me get over the top and become [an] Olympic champion."

And Yagudin will be there at the next meeting against Plushenko in Dortmund at the World Championships. Joubert said that Yagudin will go to France in the middle of March to work with him at Worlds as well.

Finally, a little something to think about - last year Joubert also said, "After 2006 I want to skate pairs. I would like to become [an] Olympic champion in pairs."

After what he said about Plushenko, Joubert might have to be taken seriously in whatever he says.

Next stop - The Chinese have three pairs who are capable of placing not only in the top six but perhaps in the top three at the World Championships.

Check out previous installments in The Road to Dortmund:
Part 1 - The European Championships
Part 2 - Julia Sebestyen