This interview was made on the 8th of June 2002. It was a good opportunity to review the 2001-2002 season, a great international season for Brian.


How did you choose the music for your short and long program ?
The music of the short program was chosen by Jean-Roland Racle, who thought about mexican music. I liked the music, so I kept it. The first time I saw 'Mission' on tv, I knew I would use the music in a program one day, so actually it's quite a long time I'm thinking about it. The same thing happenned with 'Dune', which I use at the end of my long program.
Who made the choreography ?
Alexandre Riccitelli. I worked with him last June, in Orcières-Merlette. The first thing you're working on with a choreograph, is the order of the jumps, and the corresponding steps and lines that lead into them... But it is I who chose the order of the jumps.

This season was your first big international season. How did it go with the competitions ?
The season started as usual with the Masters, in Orléans. During the Masters we have the opportunity to unveil our new programs to members of the french federation and to judges, so they can tell us what they think about it, and if the programs don't break any rules. The competition was great; my programs were well received, more particularly my short program. I really feel at ease with this music.

Then, I participated at Skate America, my first senior Grand Prix. I was quite impressed, but there was a good atmosphere so I took it easy. There was some stress of course, but I used it as an extra motivation, and on the other hand I had nothing to loose...
Concerning the results, I could have placed higher, maybe 5th or 6th. The mistake in the short program cost me a lot : I did a great quadruple toe, maybe the best of the season, but I had too much speed on the landing so I couldn't land the triple toe of the combinaison afterwards. I ended in the second group for the free program, and it was difficult to move upward.
Skating at a high altitude was not so hard, but we do feel the difference. During a practice, I had some nose bleeding during a spin... I think it was due to altitude and tireness. In fact the same thing happen in Salt Lake City, but it was not as severe.

I felt a bit robbed after the short program of the French Championships; I ended 5th, but I could have been 3rd or 4th, Stanick was quite held up a bit. Anyway, It boosted me even more for the long program. The long program didn't start so well as I missed my very first jump, a quadruple toe. But I immediately afterwards I said to myself 'you have to try it again...' and this time it was successfull. After having changed the first part of my program to add the second quad, I had to change the order of the other jumps. In this kind of situation you have to think about not changing the choreography too much, to keep the right entrance of the jumps... and to remember the other elements. I finished 3rd overall. I was satisfied with the results, because even though I had though of being in the top two, the bronze medal sent me to the European Championships. So I was happy with the results.

The European Championships were defninitely the best part of the season.
During the warm-up of the qualification round, I didn't land anything. Not even atriple Axel nor a quad, and all the other triples were not clean either. But when I stepped on the ice, my program started and I knew I was 'in it'. In this case once you've done the first 2-3 jumps, you know the rest will most probably be as great, and that you're gonna make a perfect program. Of course, you need to stay focus, but at the end you feel really great, and you're really satisfied with your performance, the result doesn't matter anymore.
I was as relax before the short program. But before the long program I realised I could medal, so I start to feel more stress... but it's something you learn how to deal with.

As a consequence, right after the Euros I was told that I was selected for the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Since the beginning of the season I knew I had a little chance to go, and I did all I could for that. When I was told the great news, I cried of joy. I don't think it's too soon in my carreer, I gained a lot of experience at the Olympics, I learnt a lot. Next time I will know how such a competition is like, and next time I will go for gold.

Before arriving in Salt Lake, about 4-5 days before the beginning of the competition, I spent one week in Calgary with Tarassova. We worked on technique, but mostly on choreography... I could feel the difference ! It was a great preparation for the competition.

I knew the Olympic Village by heart. As an athlete I had access to all the competition in the open air, and I could ask for pass for indoor sports. But I never left the village to attend other competitions, it was too painful with the security ! Each 10 meters the bags were inspected, we had to go through a magnetic door... I had to drink a bit from the bottles I was carrying in my bag... but one bottle dated from the European Championships a month ago ! Still, I had to drink a bit of it. One day I walked my parents to their hotel, and on the way back I had to queue for more than half a hour. They kept my screwdrivers, et even my deo bomb ! Had things been easier, I think I would have spend some time watching bobsleigh.
Skating wise, there was two practices a day. For food there were pizzas, pastas... that was ok.
Did I feel an extra pressure ? No, not really. But I was really impressed by the crowd. Before entering the ice for warm-up, I asked Pierre Trente if there was a lot of audience. He answered 'no'... but when I saw it I did not agree !
About the competition in itself, I was not really happy of my short program, but the free program was ok, I keep fighting through it.


The three following weeks I was at home in Poitiers to prepare the Worlds Championships in Nagano. As my coach had her baby, Laurent Depouilly came to coach me, and he was still by my side during the championships.
Personnally, I would have preferred to take part to the Junior World Championships and not the Senior ones, but the french federation said it was better to attend Senior Worlds. The federation selected me, and then said Junior Worlds were too close in time for me to do both. Still, I would have preferred Junior Worlds, and that would have made things a little easier with the other french skaters for the selection...Anyway, they realised afterwards it was maybe not the best decision, so next year I should attend Junior Worlds. In addition, I have already defeat the Junior World Champion at Skate America.

At the very end of the season, I took part to the French Team Tour. It was really nice, there was a friendly atmosphere, I really enjoyed it. A bit tiring as we skated a lot, and there were long trips in bus. For the last show in Grenoble, the other skaters threw me water so I was completely wet before entering the ice... but when one skates to 'The lake of the Connemara' it was not completely unexpectable. During the last gala every one has a little something...

This summer, I am going to the United States on the 11th of June to train with Morozov for two weeks. We are going to build the new programs and choose the new musics. Then there will be two weeks in Anglet at the beginning of July, and two weeks in Pralognan with Jean-Christophe Simon at the end of August. I'll have to find places to train between those dates, as I can't stop skating for 15 days...

This year everyone will have to be ready as soon as early September, as there are the Masters in Brest, and all the Elite skaters have to take part to the competition. Then I will skate at two Senior Grand Prix, Skate America in Spokane and the Lalique Trophy in Paris.