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Joubert hires Browning
| Source: |
Globe and Mail |
| Date: |
June 8, 2006 |
| Author: |
Beverley Smith |
French figure-skating star Brian Joubert is taking his first step
toward the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 by turning to four-time world
champion Kurt Browning.
Next week, the world silver medalist will come to Toronto so Browning
can map out the choreography for his long program.
Last season, Joubert finished sixth at the Turin Olympics, then
scrapped his long program and went back to an old routine from The
Matrix to win the silver medal behind Swiss skater Stéphane Lambiel at
the world championships in Calgary.
"On my mind is, if I'm Brian Joubert, how do I compete against
Lambiel?" Browning said yesterday. "Technically, I think Joubert is
better in the jump category, but Stéphane has got him in spins, and
right now, he's got him in footwork and overall musicality.
"I think not this year, but somebody like Joubert can improve enough
that in four years he can be competitive against Lambiel. So how to
get that first step of improvement into him is my first task."
Browning faces a busy summer. He's also working on Gotta Skate VI, his
sixth television special. Skaters appearing on show include world
dance silver medalists Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon,
Olympic bronze medalist Jeffrey Buttle and 2002 Olympic pairs
champions Jamie Salé and David Pelletier. Browning has also written a
children's skating book that is going into its second
printing.
By winning the past two world men's titles, and an Olympic silver
medal, Lambiel has created a momentum that will propel him toward the
Vancouver Games in much the way Turin Olympic champion Evgeni
Plushenko of Russia did in the past four years.
"Nobody was going to beat [Plushenko] at these Olympics," Browning
said. "He deserved to win it."
However, Plushenko is less impressive than successful, Browning
said.
"I find that the way he wins competitions is smart," said Browning, a
four-time world champion. "It's just not that entertaining.
"I don't know that I would do anything differently if I was him. But
at the same time, I know he's a better skater than that. It's like
watching a defensive hockey game."
The Russian tends to holds back, Browning said, putting all of his
tough jump elements in the first half of his routines, taking long
standing rests and using easy transition strokes.
"There's an aura to him that's been built up over time -- that he
deserves," Browning said. "Lambiel hasn't built that aura yet. But
he's got a lot of momentum right now on someone like Joubert. Is it so
much momentum that the rest of the guys can't catch him in the next
four years? That's the question."
Even under the new judging system, skaters benefit by building a
reputation, and that's what Lambiel has done.
"Joubert hasn't built a solid reputation yet, so I have to give him a
program," Browning said. "The Matrix was a lot of fun . . . but
it's hard to take Joubert seriously with plastic on. We just need to
give him a cleaner, cooler look."
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