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A little help from a friend
Kurt Browning's advice could help France's Brian Joubert recover from an arduous season
| Source: |
CBC Sports |
| Date: |
March 18, 2008 |
| Author: |
Tony Care |
Like the rest of the figure-skating community, Kurt Browning knew
men's world champion Brian Joubert was suffering through a nagging
virus in the early part of the season.
Browning, who choreographed Joubert's program for two years, had a
front-row seat as he watched the Frenchman struggle to a victory at
November's Skate Canada event in Quebec City from the CBC Sports
broadcast booth.
Two weeks later, Joubert skipped the Trophee Bompard Grand Prix event
due to an illness, prompting organizers to announce the quiet yet
flamboyant skater was dealing with a virus that caused low blood
pressure, an elevated heartbeat and extreme fatigue.
Even as doctors advised him to take a 10-day break, Joubert still felt
the effects of the bug in January when he finished third at the
European championships, behind Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic and
Switzerland's Stephane Lambiel.
With the season slowly slipping away, Joubert called upon his friend
for some much-needed help and advice. So Browning travelled to
Joubert's hometown of Poitiers for a three-day workout session in
early February, where he found the 23-year-old French native
physically tired.
"I had a long talk him and he said he was having trouble getting
through the long program," said Browning, a CBC Sports figure-skating
analyst. "I think the virus is still bothering him because I've seen
him compete other years and he never had trouble getting through long
programs."
Joubert advised to relax and breathe
Although the former four-time world champion could offer no help with
the health issues, he made an important observation in Joubert's
skating that may allow the weary champion time to complete his long
program without feeling worn down.
During the training, Browning noticed Joubert's shoulders were
extremely stiff when he skated between jumps, thus exerting more
energy than other skaters.
"My advice to him was that he really needed to stop being so tense in
his upper body and start breathing more," said Browning. "He just
carries himself on the defensive all the time. It's like if somebody
is going to hit you, the first reaction is to tighten your muscles,
and that takes energy.
"But in those three days, he really was accepting the idea of bringing
the shoulders down and actually not working so hard. He says it's like
carrying lighter luggage. I'm hoping the way he's approaching this new
part of his skating will give him the rest he needs to really finish
the long program strong."
The problem Joubert faces is that while this change may seem subtle to
the average skating fan, it isn't as easy for an elite athlete make
such a drastic switch in philosophy during a short period of
time.
With the men's short program for the world championships in Goteborg,
Sweden, set for Friday morning (Country Canada, 5 a.m. ET), Joubert
will only have a small window to take Browning's relaxation techniques
and include them into his performance.
"Who knows whether or not he can utilize what we did in only three
days or if I would need to be there every day to keep skating beside
him, making sure he remembers to keep the shoulders down, relax and
breathe," explains Browning.
"It was frustrating for him because it's like asking someone to change
the way they walk, and he was taught as a young skater to hold his
upper body really firm – like a square box."
'Get use to being the hunted'
It wasn't supposed to be this strenuous for Joubert, who was the toast
of the figure- skating world only a year ago. His athleticism and
ability to wow audiences with mesmerizing quadruple jumps won him
every major singles event, including the 2007 world championships in
Tokyo.
In Japan, he outskated hometown favourite Daisuke Takahashi in the
short program en route to the world title. Many expected Joubert to
continue his dominance on the men's side, but Browning knows all too
well how repeating as champion is far more taxing than winning it for
the first time.
Browning is convinced the pressure that comes with being the top man
also contributed to Joubert's laborious season.
"It's a new role for him," he said. "I was talking to him about it
earlier in the season and he said everything was good, yet he wasn't
skating well. And then finally during those three days [in February]
he did mention a few little things about how weird it was being the
world champion, and I do think it affects skaters.
"It takes a while to get use to being the hunted. In my opinion the
extra burden of being the world champion led to his
struggles."
Fighting a deep men's field
Browning believes Joubert will have a difficult time claiming his
second title because the men's field is so deep.
Aside from the challenges of Verner and Lambiel, Joubert must fend off
Takahashi, who dazzled his way to a victory at February's Four
Continents event in Goyang, South Korea.
In addition, Sudbury, Ont., native Jeffrey Buttle's silver-medal
performance at the same competition makes him a dangerous challenger,
and teenage sensation Patrick Chan of Toronto is having a breakthrough
season after he won the Canadian championships two months ago in
Vancouver.
"I'm expecting Joubert to be in a better place than he's been all
year," said Browning. "The guy I saw was in a good mood and he was
improving physically. But it's still going to be a tough
competition.
"Even now, certain skaters build momentum [heading into the world
championships], and I think Daisuke seems to have that
momentum."
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