BRIAN JOUBERT ON HIS LAST OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE + PICTORIAL EVIDENCE OF HIS WISE WORDS
Graphic proof
A very patriotic procedure he's undergoing there omg.
French interview translated by yours truly
Brian Joubert : ‘I want to profit from enjoy the Games’
The Olympic Games “have always been a failure” for Brian Joubert. This year, the French skater approaches things differently and hopes to enjoy what will be his “last challenge”.
It's your fourth Olympic participation. At this stage, are there still things to learn?
There are always things to learn. I’m 29, I learn new things about my sport and my personality every day. Now, the Games have always been a failure. Often you learn the most from failures, so I have learnt a lot from my previous participations. I know the mistakes I have made in the past and I want to avoid making them again this season.
Such as?
I want to take advantage of make the most of the Games, which I haven’t done until now. I was prone to locking myself inside my bubble. I wouldn’t go to the opening ceremonies, or to the Olympic village. I would put too much pressure on me. I would make a mountain out of the Games, whereas they are a competition, certainly one more present in the media, but similar to the others.
With your experience and at your age, are you calmer in your approach of the 2014 edition?
Certainly, I am surprised not to feel any stress, any pressure. Moreover, I am content that this edition is taking place in Russia, where figure skating is a popular discipline and where I am quite well-known by the public. All this is reassuring.
In this context, what could your ambitions be?
It will be my last challenge, so I want to finish on a positive note. A medal is possible, but it will be very difficult, it will take an excellent competition.
Your last competition? Meaning that you will retire after the Sochi Games?
Yes, after Sochi I want to turn over a new leaf. I am thinking about joining a pro circuit, doing galas, professional competitions, but no longer amateur ones.
Do you feel like the leader of French ice sports?
I consider myself one of them, but other athletes can lay claims to a medal, too. Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat in ice dance or Florent Amodio, who can hope for something in Sochi, he is still young. So I consider myself as one of the leaders, but I am not the locomotive of French ice sports.
Do you have the impression that by your participation you have to highlight ice sports?
Yes, but I think that it will take a medal to do it, that would give a bit of a boost to ice sports, to figure skating. It would offer us good publicity. The level is still very high, but there is no reason not to succeed. Even more so as now we have the team events, in which a bronze medal is conceivable. We will have to be all-attacking and not give up.
Speaking of which, tell us about this team event.
We have already tested it during the Worlds Championships, which take place every two years. [wtf] Often it goes well, as there is less pressure and we enter it to have some fun. The Games will be different, since the stakes will be higher - an Olympic medal.
Viewing last year’s results in winter sports, skiing, as well as biathlon, have aced it. Compared to alpine skiing, which is the torch-bearer, isn’t it difficult to coexist?
I think that there isn’t much of an imbalance. Obviously, alpine skiing is the main discipline of the Winter Games, but figure skating is not sidelined. I am not complaining about our situation, as we are present in the media, but not too much, which allows us to maintain a certain tranquility. I find ourselves privileged. It’s something that works fine for me.
Source here
Please excuse the crappy formating, it's my umpteenth attempt to post and I'm at work in a hurry.
Also, the little vid is nice, although Brian looks kinda tired.
Edited to correct an embarrassing mistake and to bold a few things. Thank you, lullabylily
:
A very patriotic procedure he's undergoing there omg.
French interview translated by yours truly
Brian Joubert : ‘I want to profit from enjoy the Games’
The Olympic Games “have always been a failure” for Brian Joubert. This year, the French skater approaches things differently and hopes to enjoy what will be his “last challenge”.
It's your fourth Olympic participation. At this stage, are there still things to learn?
There are always things to learn. I’m 29, I learn new things about my sport and my personality every day. Now, the Games have always been a failure. Often you learn the most from failures, so I have learnt a lot from my previous participations. I know the mistakes I have made in the past and I want to avoid making them again this season.
Such as?
I want to take advantage of make the most of the Games, which I haven’t done until now. I was prone to locking myself inside my bubble. I wouldn’t go to the opening ceremonies, or to the Olympic village. I would put too much pressure on me. I would make a mountain out of the Games, whereas they are a competition, certainly one more present in the media, but similar to the others.
With your experience and at your age, are you calmer in your approach of the 2014 edition?
Certainly, I am surprised not to feel any stress, any pressure. Moreover, I am content that this edition is taking place in Russia, where figure skating is a popular discipline and where I am quite well-known by the public. All this is reassuring.
In this context, what could your ambitions be?
It will be my last challenge, so I want to finish on a positive note. A medal is possible, but it will be very difficult, it will take an excellent competition.
Your last competition? Meaning that you will retire after the Sochi Games?
Yes, after Sochi I want to turn over a new leaf. I am thinking about joining a pro circuit, doing galas, professional competitions, but no longer amateur ones.
Do you feel like the leader of French ice sports?
I consider myself one of them, but other athletes can lay claims to a medal, too. Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat in ice dance or Florent Amodio, who can hope for something in Sochi, he is still young. So I consider myself as one of the leaders, but I am not the locomotive of French ice sports.
Do you have the impression that by your participation you have to highlight ice sports?
Yes, but I think that it will take a medal to do it, that would give a bit of a boost to ice sports, to figure skating. It would offer us good publicity. The level is still very high, but there is no reason not to succeed. Even more so as now we have the team events, in which a bronze medal is conceivable. We will have to be all-attacking and not give up.
Speaking of which, tell us about this team event.
We have already tested it during the Worlds Championships, which take place every two years. [wtf] Often it goes well, as there is less pressure and we enter it to have some fun. The Games will be different, since the stakes will be higher - an Olympic medal.
Viewing last year’s results in winter sports, skiing, as well as biathlon, have aced it. Compared to alpine skiing, which is the torch-bearer, isn’t it difficult to coexist?
I think that there isn’t much of an imbalance. Obviously, alpine skiing is the main discipline of the Winter Games, but figure skating is not sidelined. I am not complaining about our situation, as we are present in the media, but not too much, which allows us to maintain a certain tranquility. I find ourselves privileged. It’s something that works fine for me.
Source here
Please excuse the crappy formating, it's my umpteenth attempt to post and I'm at work in a hurry.
Also, the little vid is nice, although Brian looks kinda tired.
Edited to correct an embarrassing mistake and to bold a few things. Thank you, lullabylily
: