By Hiro Yoshida

Twenty years on this month from winning the first of his two World titles, Stéphane Lambiel remains very much part of the sport as a coach and choreographer. At this milepost, I take a look back with the 2006 Olympic silver medallist on some of the seminal moments of his career and fellow skaters that left an impression on him.

“I never worry about the readers. I say what I mean, what I have on my mind.”

In all the time I have known Lambiel he always has been forthright and never afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve whether on or off the ice. Seven times he competed at Worlds. This year’s Worlds in Boston will be his eighth as a coach. As I go with him down the memory lane of his career I ask if he prefers competing or coaching.

“I don’t know if it’s because skating has not inspired me lately, but I enjoyed it much more as a skater,” he said. “It looked more charismatic. Not that the figure skaters that we have nowadays don’t have charisma! I think they have a lot of charisma, but we are asking them to do things that are so boring and even when they skate well, it doesn’t look very emotional.”

The Swiss skater first burst into the figure skating world’s consciousness when as a twelve year old he appeared as a guest in the gala at the 1997 World Figure Skating Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. Rubbing shoulders with the elite skaters of the time provided him with the motivation he needed to bring his skating to their level.

“I got very much inspired by that generation’s skaters like Ilia Kulik,” he said. “He didn’t perform well at Lausanne Worlds, but I was so inspired by him. I just loved his discipline and his posture and his energy, and I loved his Aladdin programme so much. I think the way he was performing and executing and the quality of his skating really inspired me.”

Lambiel really stepped up during the 2001-2002 season when he found himself competing at the same rink in Lausanne at the European Championships finishing fourth and securing himself a ticket to the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. The following month he appeared at his very first World Championships in Nagano, Japan. It was his second time in the country he would become very familiar with over the course of the next two decades.

“Actually, I had my first trip to Japan for the Junior Grand Prix in 1999 and it was also in Nagano. Worlds in Nagano was my second time in Japan and my second time in Nagano. The trip to Nagano is quite far because, of course, there is the long flight plus when you arrive in (Tokyo) Narita or Haneda, you still have a long way to go to Nagano. I remember the trip was very long. We had to take the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Nagano. Nagano was, of course, a big competition, because it was my first Worlds but it was right after the Olympics. For me, the Olympics was also such a huge experience. I remember being a little bit tired going into Worlds and just overwhelmed by all the things that had happened during that season, which was my first full senior season. I remember I was very impressed, especially at the Olympics, at the rivalry between Alexei (Yagudin) and Evgeni (Plushenko). That was something I was in the corner of the dressing room watching with very big eyes. I don’t think that Worlds was a very good competition for me, in terms of results or performance, but I remember that it was a very important step in my career because it gave me a lot of motivation. It gave me the eagerness to improve. After that season, I thought if I wanted to be the best, I needed to land the quad and the triple Axel. After that season, coming back from Worlds, my engine was on and my motivation was very high. I take that year and that experience in Nagano as the motivator for the next years.”

He progressed at a remarkable rate by the time the 2003 World Championships in Washington D.C. rolled around the following year.

“I did very well in the qualifying round,” Lambiel recalled. “I was third in my group and it was a huge surprise. I finished tenth at that Worlds. That was also a very good step, landing the quad toe and the triple Axel. I was so young. I remember I only was full of dreams and at the same time I was realising my dream. It was dreaming at the same time as living. It was incredible.”

On to Dortmund, Germany in 2004 and he came agonisingly close to finishing on the podium for the first time. There was satisfaction at what he had accomplished tempered slightly by coming fourth.

“I was so happy and proud of my performance,” he said. “I remember in Dortmund I planned in my mind that I was going to do the second quad toe in the free but I didn’t mention it to anyone. I was so proud of myself and so disappointed about my ranking. I think that was a very good motivator because it showed me that in figure skating we need to accept the judgement. This is number one. Number two, if you want to be in front, you need to be better. That realisation and that acceptance was a very important moment of my career in Dortmund.”

Without any fanfare, Lambiel arrived in Moscow Russia for the 2005 World Championships and won his qualifying group and the short programme ahead of reigning champion Plushenko who withdrew before the free skating. Seemingly without any pressure or expectation, he skated to his first World title.

“I had always such a big dream about what I was living, and I was open to anything and that was the same in Moscow,” he explained. “I was just enjoying the moment, open to anything, and I was so surprised. You can see from some videos I saw recently how surprised I was there. My parents really helped me to put the effort into the work. In skating it’s very important to put the effort into the work because it is not you who makes the judgement. You cannot influence the judgement except by your actions and by your performance. That’s where you need to make the impact when you’re on the ice. It was such a great moment to put everything out there and to have this result without expectations and having my family there. I remember my sister being there, my mom and a lot of fans and friends. It was such a great moment to be able to celebrate such a victory.”

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In 2006, Lambiel won a silver medal at the Torino Olympics in Italy and then claimed a second consecutive World title in Calgary, Canada. That is when things changed for him. At 2007 Worlds in Tokyo, Japan he was third and the following year in Gothenburg, Sweden he was fifth. It would end up being his final appearance as a skater at Worlds.

“After I won in Calgary, it was very much more difficult for me,” he said. “I think until Calgary I was very open to whatever happened to me. After Calgary, my openness became narrower and this narrow road was very uncomfortable for me. I felt not able to express myself freely. It was probably my responsibility. The road was narrow, too narrow. To the point that I actually got injured and I had to stop because my mind was not healthy and it probably impacted my body. In 2008 after Gothenburg Worlds, I changed a few things. I was injured. I tried to get healthy, but it took so long. I was not healthy enough to practice and then in October 2008 I gave up.”

Although he paused competing, he began touring extensively. It was an encounter with a physiotherapist that enabled him to close out the final chapter of his competitive career on his own terms.

“In April 2009, I did shows in Canada with Stars on Ice. After that tour, Marla Pichler, the physio of the tour, took me to Toronto and treated me. During the treatment she said, ‘Do you still have the wish to compete?’ I said to her, ‘If I’m not one hundred percent healthy, I will for sure not consider any competition. She said, ‘But what if?’ I said, ‘If I’m healthy, I will think about it.’”

As Switzerland did not have a quota spot for the men’s event at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, it was up to Lambiel to get back to full fitness and grab one at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy in just a few short months.

“My focus was just getting healthy and I think by that time the registration for Nebelhorn was getting close. At the same time, I felt like I was overcoming my injury. I felt like my health was almost one hundred percent and my mental health was way better. I had recovered mentally and physically from my injuries. I contacted the Federation and I asked them if it was possible to register for Nebelhorn as Switzerland didn’t have a spot. I got the spot and I went to Nebelhorn. I think from the moment I decided in July until September, I had less than two months to put programmes together and get ready. That’s how I prepared for my final season.”

Lambiel had no desire to compete beyond the Vancouver Olympics.

“When I came back in 2009, my objective was the Olympics. I never thought of Torino Worlds in 2010. I was going do my final stretch until the Olympics. It was my bonus and then that was it.”

Lambiel competed against quite a cast of skaters during the course of his career. In his first few seasons as a senior skater, Evgeni Plushenko was a dominant force.

“As I said before, Evgeni was in Salt Lake City fighting for the gold and I was there at my first Olympics. I really saw Yagudin and Plushenko compete against each other from a very far corner and it was very interesting for me. A few years later, I was actually a rival and competing against him and I could totally understand Yagudin’s position. We were all very vulnerable before competing when we were all wishing and hoping to show our best. Evgeni has such a strong personality. It was always something that I have admired, how confident about himself he is and how strong minded and determined.”

After his two victories at Worlds, Lambiel ceded his crown to France’s Brian Joubert who took the World title in 2007. The two skaters with very contrasting styles grew up competing in the same events as each other. Although from Lambiel’s perspective they were not close, there was no animosity either between them on a personal level.

“I think the first time I really noticed him was Junior Worlds in Oberstdorf in 2000,” Lambiel said. “We didn’t have a friendship, but we didn’t have a big rivalry. I felt a lot the French Federation wanting to beat the little Swiss skater. In Calgary, I felt they were working for their skater and me just fighting for myself.”

At 2007 Worlds, Daisuke Takahashi from Japan joined Lambiel and Joubert on the podium. The Swiss and the Japanese ended up collaborating with each other and found much in common.

“With Daisuke, I felt much closer,” Lambiel said. “I think we always admired and had a good understanding of each other. I was very impressed that after the Vancouver Olympics, we got to work together. I helped him with some choreography and I really enjoyed that moment of sharing experiences and knowledge. I was able also to see how he performs in shows, how he evolves, and how he did ice dance. We were always inspiring each other during our career. It was a good connection together.”

Even though he had already retired, Lambiel also drew inspiration from another Japanese skater who went on to become a legend of the sport.

“I was very impressed with Yuzuru (Hanyu) from the beginning,” Lambiel said. “I loved his two hundred percent commitment to whatever he’s doing, watching him warm up off the ice, watching him skate in practice. I loved how involved he was in whatever he was doing from the first time I saw him. I remember watching his spins in Sendai, and I remember he showed and he wanted so much to impress and to do this spin with so much conviction. That’s something that I immediately recognised throughout the whole years that I followed him, there was this commitment and this engagement. I have appreciated that very much. It has inspired me to really push beyond my expectations. He’s a very good model for that.”

Gothenburg 2008 was also the last World Championships for Jeffrey Buttle, another of Lambiel’s contemporaries. They have both pursued similar paths with the Canadian becoming a much in demand choreographer and even creating routines for one of Lambiel’s students.

“With Jeffrey, it was always very friendly and very similar to Daisuke,” Lambiel said. “We looked at each other with a lot of admiration and respect. Even later, we inspired each other a lot. I had a nice connection with Jeffrey.

“He worked with Koshiro (Shimada) on his ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ short programme. I was so excited and Koshiro really adores Jeffrey.”

As a coach and choreographer, Lambiel is not precious about his students working with other people and actively encourages them to expand their horizons. He has no interest in producing carbon copies of himself.

“I think they need to see the world,” he said. “Like I was saying before the road needs to be open. I don’t want to put them in a narrow way. I want them to have as many experiences as possible. I think life experiences teaches you a lot. Even with Deniss (Vasiljevs), he worked with Shae-Lynn (Bourne) and with other choreographers for his programmes. I want to give them the possibility to see the world. The more experiences they have the better for them.

“I think they need to come up with their own sense of expression.  I’m not trying to duplicate myself. I’m trying to teach them how they become the best of themselves. That’s my aim, that they develop their own skills, their own personality.”

Lambiel’s success as a competitor has made him a popular draw for the ice shows and tours he has appeared in since his retirement. However, he maintains that whatever direction his competitive career had taken, the drive to be the best he can be in whatever he does has always been his main motivation.

“I always wanted to win, but not because I wanted a career. I wanted to win because I’m a competitor. I really wanted to be the best. I didn’t expect to win, but I wanted to do all I could. It was my competitive spirit. After I retired, I knew I wanted to skate. I had that feeling I wanted to perform. I wanted to skate without the pressure of the result. That’s why I did many shows after I stopped competing.”

In 2014 Lambiel started the Skating School of Switzerland in Champéry. Since its inception the school has quickly grown and is now a recognised ISU Centre of Excellence. The demands of all the work involved requires a great deal of planning and assistance.

“I try to take care of myself the best I can and then I have the support of my team. We have a plan for all the programmes that we need to make, for all the competitions we need to follow, and the teamwork helps. We need to be organised. We need to be a good team. That’s kind of how it functions. Trust the team.”

The week after this year’s World Championships conclude Lambiel will mark another milestone enjoying the moment while always looking forward to the future.

“I’m turning forty this year and I think it’s also a big stepping stone. I don’t like to look back, but I like to celebrate. My best wish is to celebrate we are here. I love to be together. I love to feel love from the people I know, with the people I share a lot of memories. But looking back, no. I love to look at old photos and I love to watch old videos, but I don’t need to do that. I need to spend time and celebrate together with my family and with some friends. My plan for the day of my birthday is to go and watch a ballet in Zurich and then the weekend afterwards we go to Portugal to celebrate.”