Interview with Jean-Christophe Simond, coach of Brian Joubert

Warsaw , January 2007

Jean-Christophe Simond is a multiple French Champion and two-time European silver medallist (1981 and 1982). He is coaching Brian Joubert since summer 2006.

Q: You were a successful figure skater yourself and European silver medallist. What are your most vivid memories of your career?

J.-C.: I have most of all two nice memories. One is the battle between (Igor) Borbin (URS), (Norbert) Schramm (GER) and me. Two years in a row it was quite close between us and it was an interesting competition. The other fact is that I was lucky enough to compete in three Olympic Games. I had a rather long career. I only regret that I suffered a long time from injury the last three years. That was too bad. Other than that I have no regrets. I had a lot of fun and I think that I was able to experience something fantastic. Even though I didn’t win any major title, it doesn’t bother me.

Q: When you think back to the competitions in your time (in the late 70s-early 80s) and compare them to the competitions today – what is the biggest difference in your opinion?

J.-C.: O la la! The biggest difference… I can watch my programs on youtube – I don’t have anything myself – and I see the difference in quality of the spins, of the construction of the programs, and it is huge. The difference is enormous. We did three turns in our spins and that was it. It was nothing. Today, with the new judging system, there are all these positions, changes of positions, the spins consist of 20, 30 turns, that’s crazy. We did four, five and went out. Even the construction of the programs and their depth is amazing today. However, I think it is physically much, much harder. Now you obviously have to be physically in a top condition for all these difficult elements.

Q: Did you start working as a coach right away after you finished your career?

J.-C.: I finished my competitive career after the Olympic Games in Sarajevo , which was in February (1984), and I started to coach in Nice on April 1. I was in Nice for six months, then there were some difficulties with two clubs there and I went to Paris , but I returned to Nice later. In between I worked as national junior coach in France for eight years. I organized training camps for young and older children, from novice to senior. It was then that I worked with Brian for the first time during a novice camp. He was 11 years old.

Q: Why did you become a Technical Specialist?

J.-C.: Because it was something I wanted to do. I wanted to take part in this new system.

Q: How did it happen?

J.-C.: I sent my request to the Federation and they forwarded it to the ISU. I went to the seminar in Frankfurt . Unfortunately, I didn’t judge any event this season, but that’s ok.

Q: You didn’t even go to a Junior Grand Prix?

J.-C.: No, the timing was not good, as it was exactly during a period when I had to work intensively with Brian and I couldn’t leave. I could have left later, but I also have to spend time with my family, as I’m rarely at home. My family stayed back in Nice. That’s not always easy. We’ll see next year.

Q: Obviously you are very interested in the new judging system as you wanted to be part of it. Where do you see the advantages?

J.-C.: There is one huge advantage in my opinion. Before, a skater started his program and had to be under the impression that he only can lose points. There was the perfect base mark of 6.0 and then they deducted and deducted from it. It was only negative. Now it’s only positive, as the skater starts with 0 points and the points are adding up. That’s positive. It goes up and not down. Just because of that I think this idea is great. There are some things that should be discussed, for example the value of a quadruple jump. A quad is less worth than a triple flip-triple toe. On the level we are now, a triple flip-triple toe is easy. I think a balance needs to be found in the value of elements.

Q: Some people critizised that the programs are becoming too similar.

J.-C.: It can happen. It’s the job of the ISU to watch closely and maybe to introduce new rules that require the skaters to change things. Otherwise they’ll do always the same spin, the same moves.

Q: Would you have liked to compete under this system?

J.-C.: Yes. I would have preferred this system to the old system, definitely. Everything is clear. You know you didn’t do a triple but a double and that means a certain number of points. You did a very clean triple, which is worth +1. I think that’s very clear and I really like it. I like the eight jump passes, four spins, two step sequences.

Q: What do you think about the technical development in skating? We’ve reached a certain level now, what will come next?

J.-C.: What will come next? I think there always will be skaters with great talent who will push the limits. Brian for example firmly believes that one day he’ll try a quintuple. I have some doubts about that, but I’m convinced that we’ll try the quad flip. He is capable of doing three (different) quads. It’s worth the effort if it will be rewarded accordingly. Only those who have the physical condition for it can do such a program. Not everyone can do that, obviously. However, everyone has his own weapons. Some will include more triple-triple combinations. Everybody will find his own way and the new system gives everybody the opportunity to fight. Some skaters are technically very strong, others can use some little tricks to squeeze out the maximum, like putting all difficulties at the end (of the program).

Q: Alexei Mishin once told me in an interview that quintuple jumps will be only possible with a different kind of skates.

J.-C.: Why not, if the material is further developed, maybe even with the help of the material. Like in pole vault where they before used a wooden pole and now they use one made of carbon. They will have to invent something for our sport as the material hasn’t really developed.

Q: What kind of innovations do you think are possible for spins and footwork?

J.-C.: I think the innovation will come through more original positions and more flexibility. I’m talking about the boys, because the girls are already doing fantastic things. I was lucky enough to serve as a Technical Specialist at Junior Worlds (2006) and I saw some amazing things. That’s good. The boys still can progress in that area but they still should be masculine.

Q: We talked about quintuple jumps. What do you think about a quadruple Axel?

J.-C.: That is definitely possible. You shouldn’t forget that a quad Axel only has a half a revolution more than a quadruple (jump). I heard that some people have tried it. Why not?

Q: The Chinese skater Chengjiang Li said that he tried it but he fell so hard that he stopped. He also said that he landed a quad toe-quad toe combination in practice.

J.-C.: That is possible. I think that even Brian – this triple Axel was smaller at the beginning of the season than it is now – overrotates the Axel a quarter to half a revolution sometimes not on purpose. The quad Axel can intimidate because of the forward take-off. With all the pressure just the tiniest loss of balance is enough (to fall). You don’t have time during the quad. You have to react instantly, and once you’ve reacted, it’s too late. This is what is intimidating. I think it would be better to add another quad and depending on the level of energy and fitness maybe to move at least one quad into the second half of the program, like Brian does it. First we’re looking at these things, then at the extras. We still can progress. But for now I don’t see a skater who will try a quad Axel in the program.

Q: What is the most important thing for your work as a coach?

J.-C.: Currently, with Brian, I tried to give him a frame for his work, meaning he every day knows what we are working on. We made a precise plan, but we still can change it like we did around Christmas when I thought that he would stay in Poitiers but he went to Courchevel instead. We adapted the practice program a little as he was at higher altitude and he was almost on vacation. Basically we try to stick to our plan since September, so he always knows – we see each other each morning – what to expect, like “today I have to skate my free program as a whole” or “today I have an intense technical training” or “I have to skate my short program twice”. He knows it. Every morning, he knows the main goal of the day. Depending on how it goes we have a little working session afterwards. The second thing is that we try not to lie to each other. If a jump was very good, then (we say) it was very good. If a jump was mediocre or worse then it was mediocre or worse and when a jump technically wasn’t good, even if it was landed, then we’ll still say that it wasn’t a good jump. A jump can go wrong even if it was technically good because of lack of concentration, and then we’d say that it technically was a good jump. We try not to lie and to be strict about the technique. This is the way it should be and this is how we want to work.

Q: How is Brian as a student?

J.-C.: Easy, because he is willing to work hard. He is determined to have success. Nothing can put him off when he has made up his mind. He now decided to have a good career and he does everything to realize it. It is easy to make him work. When he comes to practice and even if he feels a little tired, he has his plan and he knows, no matter what, he has to skate through the whole long program and then he will skate it. This adds to his will to succeed. It is easy for us to work together. However, we don’t have the best conditions. If we had this (the practice rink Torwar at the European Championships), it would be a dream! The rink in Poitiers is just horrible.

Q: It is the first time for you to teach a student on that level.

J.-C.: I had other students, but they didn’t have these capabilities for success. I coached Philippe Roncolli when he was 7 th at the European Championships. I coached (French Champions) Axel Médéric, Agnes Gosselin, and I trained (European medallist) Eric Millot when he was in juniors, but it’s true, I never had a student who is capable of winning Europeans and Worlds.

Q: So what is the difference for you as a coach? Is there a different approach?

J.-C.: No. Once the frame is set, it’s easy. There is no special pressure, because we are doing our job. If it works out, great, if it doesn’t nobody can reproach us with not having done our work. Nobody can say: of you had prepared better, then… No, we prepared in the right way, he did his job, and when it works out he’ll be happy and everybody will be happy. He has a chance of 99 percent to win (the title at Europeans), but things always can go wrong. We have nothing to regret, because our job was done.