Define Lambiel’s coaching style

[Arriba627]

Stephane has been interviewed many times regarding Shoma, since he began coaching him. In his own words:

"He is such a strong skater in everything! He has beautiful spins, good edges, he has charisma, he is very expressive, dynamic, explosive, he has speed. So we are just polishing every little bit of his skating and making him enjoy the work which is probably the most important at his age. He loves competing and that's something we need to keep. My job is to keep him motivated, to help him grow and improve." It is no secret that Stephane's passion is the artistic side of skating, but he understands the importance of the jumps and works towards well-rounded programs.

Regarding Stephane, Shoma has said "He cares about his students so much." So more than debating whether he is or isn't good at teaching jumps, that's what Shoma seems to care about. He has helped him with the mental game -- to improve his focus, to control his energy better. Angelo Delfini has worked with Shoma on jumps. Angelo is there for the students who need him. There are many, many interviews with Stephane about coaching and teaching, competing, etc.. I will locate them and link them here.

As far as his success with the women skaters, there are some things to consider. I won't write any more about Rika. She is a very unique case. Alexia Paganini. I love her! However, she is now on her 4th? 5th? training environment, 4th coach, she has worked with many of the top choreographers. The results just don't come. Stephane is a coach, not a magician. Some people are destined to be 4th - 7th throughout their careers, unfortunately. Because she wanted to attend university classes, Champery was not the best environment for her. Since her move, she has been able to go to school and skate.

 

[Skater Boy]

I am not sure how good of a coach Stephane is. I have to admit listening to him and watching him I do have some concerns - that he might be a bit of a narcissist. I always loved his skating minus the bad costume choice at the olympics. Lol However, I was a bit disturbed by him prancing around and jumping like a dancer r skater rather than focussing on his student. This was not sort of swaying to the music like Brian Orser or Tracy Wilson but the joy on his face like he was performing. The look of adoration like he was competing was emblazoned on his face and backed up by his action. He should have been there more for his student sot that does cause me some concern.

 

[yume]

I was so surprised at the change in Shoma’s performances.. elegance, music awareness that was not there before.. Lambiel is a genius

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I am not sure how good of a coach Stephane is. I have to admit listening to him and watching him I do have some concerns - that he might be a bit of a narcissist. I always loved his skating minus the bad costume choice at the olympics. Lol However, I was a bit disturbed by him prancing around and jumping like a dancer r skater rather than focussing on his student. This was not sort of swaying to the music like Brian Orser or Tracy Wilson but the joy on his face like he was performing. The look of adoration like he was competing was emblazoned on his face and backed up by his action. He should have been there more for his student sot that does cause me some concern.

Please tell me this is a joke. Because you are saying things about a coach that you do not know personally. He is not a narcissist, and many coaches dance along and move with their students performances other than Lambiel. Every coach is different and I have seen/know coaches/choreographers that move more than Lambiel when watching skater perform, it doesn't make them a bad person/coach. So please enough of this nonsense.

 

[4everchan]

moving along while your student is performing is actually just showing how invested a coach is in the well-being of his students.... the coach simply wants the student to do so well and goes through the routine with the student... it's far from being narcissistic.. it's the opposite.

 

[4everchan]

I was so surprised at the change in Shoma’s performances.. elegance, music awareness that was not there before.. Lambiel is a genius

i wouldn't say all of that wasn't there before... Shoma always had a deep and raw connection with music, and this is why i like him so much... but Lambiel has brought something more... it's hard for me to express what it is.

 

[yume]

Marie-France looks almost possessed behind the boards sometimes, so there is worse.

I would have talked about that spur photoshoot with Deniss to say that he looks narcissist.

 

[gsk8]

Marie-France looks almost possessed behind the boards sometimes, so there is worse.

I would have talked about that spur photoshoot with Deniss to say that he looks narcissist.

How does one look narcissistic from a photo?

I think all coaches can look possessed behind the boards. I love watching Fusar-Poli, Arutyunyan, and Lambiel, among others when their skaters are on the ice

 

[yume]

How does one look narcissistic from a photo?

Maybe the way he should let his student have all the light.

 

[Anna K.]

moving along while your student is performing is actually just showing how invested a coach is in the well-being of his students.... the coach simply wants the student to do so well and goes through the routine with the student... it's far from being narcissistic.. it's the opposite.

I was just about to ask, how can one possibly be there more for his student if one is virtually feeling every move his student does
And then you came up with the right wording for this

 

[Anna K.]

Marie-France looks almost possessed behind the boards sometimes, so there is worse.

I would have talked about that spur photoshoot with Deniss to say that he looks narcissist.

Are you talking about this Spur photoshoot ?

Maybe the way he should let his student have all the light.

Disagree. They look adorable together and that's the very idea.

Does anybody have the exact timeline of Shoma working with Lambiel? In Deniss' interview from 2016, he talks about training with Stephane and Shoma in Champery. In this video though, Stephane is not listed as one of the coaches. When did it become official?

 

[Ruthypegs]

Who wouldn't want to have a coach who was this invested in your success?

https://twitter.com/AcesOfBlades/status/1482069051958599685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1482069051958599685%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

 

[gsk8]

Maybe the way he should let his student have all the light.

They are merely posing the way the photographer instructs them too It looked like a fun shoot!

 

[Arriba627]

Does anybody have the exact timeline of Shoma working with Lambiel? In Deniss' interview from 2016, he talks about training with Stephane and Shoma in Champery. In this video though, Stephane is not listed as one of the coaches. When did it become official?

Shoma was coachless at IdF 2019 and had a disaster skate. Deniss was competing there, and Stephane told Shoma he might be able to help him. Without anything being official, Shoma started skating at Champery. Stephane put him on the ice at Rostelecom (came in 4th, missing 3rd by .63) and then he was with him at Japan Nationals 2019 (where he won gold). Shoma just sort of happened to let it slip in an after-skate interview that Stephane would now be coaching him. He has tried to spend as much time as possible in Champery, although Japan's strict quarantine rules have made it difficult. While training in Japan, Stephane would usually coach him online 3 times a week.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

I would imagine that the aspects of skating that set Lambiel apart are hard to teach. "No, no, no -- be more musical" On the tech side, Stephane never mastered a reliable triple Axel, but lots of coached seem to be able to teach jump technioque without bhaving been great technitcians themselves. (He did have a solid quad toe.)

As for the question of whether a skating coach should assume the responsibilty of encouraging his students to study hard in school, prepare for a successful life after skating, etc. -- I thik it can be argued that this is the job of a parent, not a coach.

I think he's a sort of additional parent to Deniss. But, as others said, Deniss did study well, even if this was not his primary objective, nor even his secondary one (that's baking).
I was more concerned by whistleblowers speaking of a Japanese coach's negative interference in school attendance. That's quite of an outstretch.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Shoma was coachless at IdF 2019 and had a disaster skate. Deniss was competing there, and Stephane told Shoma he might be able to help him. Without anything being official, Shoma started skating at Champery. Stephane put him on the ice at Rostelecom (came in 4th, missing 3rd by .63) and then he was with him at Japan Nationals 2019 (where he won gold). Shoma just sort of happened to let it slip in an after-skate interview that Stephane would now be coaching him. He has tried to spend as much time as possible in Champery, although Japan's strict quarantine rules have made it difficult. While training in Japan, Stephane would usually coach him online 3 times a week.

I think Shoma had had summer camps with Stephane prior to entering his team?

 

[figureskatingandrainbows]

Shoma and Lambiel were at the YOG together (Stephane was a mentor there) so they've known each other for a long time.

 

[icetug]

Vasiliev remarked he didn't like studying and didn't really try and was only busy with skating. [...] So how did the parents of Vasilive feel about their son not being interested in studying, not even in trying it seemed? Was he just joking in that interview? Was he serious?

This must be a misunderstanding. Keeping up with his studies was one of the reason Deniss decided to move to Champery as he didn't much time for studying while he was training in Sochi (I assume it was the matter of a training sessions organization). I remeber Deniss went to his home city in Latvia to take his final English exam a week before Worlds in 2018 (and his fans were joking that he should take exams before every important competitions as he both passed the exam and took the 6th place at Worlds). He completed liceum (high school) the same spring of 2018 what means he was preparing simultaneously for final exams and for major competitions, including Olympics. Then he decided to join university in Latvia he graduated from quite recently.
Koshiro Shimada in another Lambiel's student who joined university - he enrolled to famous Waseda University, the same faculty Yuzuru Hanyu graduated from.
And in May 2018 team Champery had their training camp in Daugavpils, Deniss' home city. That gave him opportunity to finish all important matters at school and farewell his schoolmates. I think it's quite nice proof Lambiel cares about his students education...

 

[Ruthypegs]

This must be a misunderstanding. Keeping up with his studies was one of the reason Deniss decided to move to Champery as he didn't much time for studying while he was training in Sochi (I assume it was the matter of a training sessions organization). I remeber Deniss went to his home city in Latvia to take his final English exam a week before Worlds in 2018 (and his fans were joking that he should take exams before every important competitions as he both passed the exam and took the 6th place at Worlds). He completed liceum (high school) the same spring of 2018 what means he was preparing simultaneously for final exams and for major competitions, including Olympics. Then he decided to join university in Latvia he graduated from quite recently.
Koshiro Shimada in another Lambiel's student who joined university - he enrolled to famous Waseda University, the same faculty Yuzuru Hanyu graduated from.
And in May 2018 team Champery had their training camp in Daugavpils, Deniss' home city. That gave him opportunity to finish all important matters at school and farewell his schoolmates. I think it's quite nice proof Lambiel cares about his students education...

Deniss is also fluent in four languages, so he's no slacker when it comes to learning!

 

[Arriba627]

I think Shoma had had summer camps with Stephane prior to entering his team?

The Federation brought Stephane in for summer camps multiple times. Also, after Mihoko choreographed the Loco program, they brought Stephane in to help out with some of the moves. The 3 of them worked on getting the sharpness and staccato of the tango-esque movements. He is listed as co-choreographer on his Winter program, and I know he assisted with other programs. They have a history that goes way back, including working in ice shows together.