Stéphane Lambiel: "I’m a little bit crazy"
- Thread starter NatachaHatawa
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- Joined
- Nov 9, 2007
Does that honestly convince you? That he never had a chance to compare? When skaters sit in the waiting room, they watch the performances of other skaters. Even watching performaces from the inside, I'm sure he could tell who had the better performance.
Yes, absolutely. I don't have any reason not to believe him.
But, obviously, you seem to know better than him what he saw and what he didn't.
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- Joined
- Nov 9, 2007
And how did you jump to that conclusion?:scratch: I'm saying that I'm skeptical about what he's saying. 'never saw the other performances' is just too convenient really.
What makes you so sure that he did watch in the waiting room? I ignore waiting room televisions all the time, and I'm sure I'm not unique in that respect.
This is exactly what I said: that you seem to know better if he was watching another performances or not. But somehow I believe him more than you. Convenient to whom? To lie to you?
I have some more "proves" from his other interviews that he actually didn't watch, that I'm recalling now. But, well, it's your right to call him hypocritic liar, and I have a feeling that actually doesn't matter what I say on this topic.
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- Nov 9, 2007
Where did you read 'hypocritic liar'? Look, you can disagree with what I'm saying, and you can defend what you think, but please don't put words in my mouth.
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- Mar 25, 2008
Maybe not higher, but certainly not lower. I find it very strange that some of the skaters I listed have higher PBs than him; Stephane had the technical ability and the presentation, and he didn't do cookie cutter programs, either.
Reut, I think some people just won't be convinced no matter what you say. Clearly to their mind Stephane should have immediately given up any "undeserved" placements or at least publicly stated how undeserving he'd been. Never mind that nobody else does it and that it would be pointless and counterproductive. I can certainly believe Stephane never watched other people skate, at least not the top people who were skating in his group.
Hypocritic:
And to say that it's not convincing what he said and that for sure he saw others though he said he didn't is to call him a liar, at least this is how I understand this word.
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- Feb 4, 2008
I think this conversation is getting a little too out of hand. There's no need to go around being agressive towards each other or towards Stéphane. I don't believe these are anybody's intentions, but this is how the conversation lokks on the outside.
Some people may agree with Stéphane's remarks on the system and how it's only recently that he's really been able to compare programs and grades, some may not.
Here's how I see the matter:
- firstly, Stéphane was critical of the system when he was competing, I remember him saying he regretted how spins were graded.
-secondly, Stéphane does admit that, even if he is the one benefitting from it, he disagrees with judges boosting big-name skaters' grades up
-thirdly, I am inclined to believe Stéphane when he says that he never really had the opportunity to compare before. As some people have pointed out, he obviously watched his programs and that of his rivals while he was competing. But I think that there is a huge difference in watching programs during or just after a competition and watching them later, after having taken a step back, especially concerning one's own programs. Stéphane seems to be a prudent person who would prefer to wait before accusing the judges of wrong judging.
Anyway, it's lovely to hear from Stéphane and I hope he will continue to skate for many years to come!
Some people may agree with Stéphane's remarks on the system and how it's only recently that he's really been able to compare programs and grades, some may not.
Here's how I see the matter:
- firstly, Stéphane was critical of the system when he was competing, I remember him saying he regretted how spins were graded.
-secondly, Stéphane does admit that, even if he is the one benefitting from it, he disagrees with judges boosting big-name skaters' grades up
-thirdly, I am inclined to believe Stéphane when he says that he never really had the opportunity to compare before. As some people have pointed out, he obviously watched his programs and that of his rivals while he was competing. But I think that there is a huge difference in watching programs during or just after a competition and watching them later, after having taken a step back, especially concerning one's own programs. Stéphane seems to be a prudent person who would prefer to wait before accusing the judges of wrong judging.
Anyway, it's lovely to hear from Stéphane and I hope he will continue to skate for many years to come!
Didn't Stéphane at least watch Daisuke Takahashi's free skate from the stands at Skate Canada, back in 2006? And when the latter bombed it completely, didn't he get excited and rush to dress for the medal ceremony?
I mean, there was a cute video footage of it at the time. So I guess Stéphane was perfectly capable of watching and comparing performances, and was obviously interested in dong so?
I remember how completely ....ed off he was after the Worlds 2008 SP. There was a short interview with him on Eurosport. Would it qualify as being critical of the system? Maybe.
I mean, there was a cute video footage of it at the time. So I guess Stéphane was perfectly capable of watching and comparing performances, and was obviously interested in dong so?
I remember how completely ....ed off he was after the Worlds 2008 SP. There was a short interview with him on Eurosport. Would it qualify as being critical of the system? Maybe.
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Actually, I believe Stephane watched the entire final flight at that particular Skate Canada, and by the time Takahashi skated he was still in first with only two to go, but he watched until Johnny had finished in third and left him the winner, before dashing madly to get his costume back on. Of course, that was the kind of crazy show you had to watch until the end.
Though the next year at Cup of Russia in commented after the short that he'd like to win a Grand Prix event because he never had, having apparently forgotten about that Skate Canada. Maybe he found the whole thing so bizarre he blocked it from his memory?
Though the next year at Cup of Russia in commented after the short that he'd like to win a Grand Prix event because he never had, having apparently forgotten about that Skate Canada. Maybe he found the whole thing so bizarre he blocked it from his memory?
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- Mar 25, 2008
Let's see if I have this right: Stephane is wrong, because he didn't criticize CoP as a skater. Brian Joubert and Johnny Weir are wrong to criticize CoP as active skaters. Am I missing something here? Is criticism only acceptable when someone says "the system is set up so that I am personally overscored"? Should skaters never speak up otherwise?
Maybe he found the whole thing so bizarre he blocked it from his memory?
Ah right, that probably explains it! Skate Canada was indeed one bizarre event that season.
Yu-Na Kim, too. Semi-officially though, in an interview for a Korean TV-station. She talked about edge calls. And then of course Carolina Kostner's latest protest. Maybe there were more skaters I'm unaware of.
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- Mar 25, 2008
What I'm trying to figure out here is why some skaters get criticized for speaking out, while others get criticized for not speaking out. It seems like a no-win situation. Or is it just that different people have different expectations of skaters and whether or not they should be critical of their sport?
I have no answer to that quiestion, I'm afraid. I was pointing out that most skaters, IMO, tend to criticize the system only when things go wrong, when they are unhappy about their placement. They don't complain when they get gifts. Which makes the entire critique sound ... funny? unproductive? And maybe that's why it's never taken seriously by the powers that be?
This is why I see Stephane's comments now as sincere, because now he doesn't have any interest. I read one comment about this interview which said that Stephane sounds like a regular skating fan. But actually now he is a regular FS fan, and he observes things while watching competitions on TV, from the outside.
Thanks for reminding about that Skate Canada footage, BTW. Didn't think about it. Next time I have a chance to speak to Stephane, I'll ask about that.
Though I have no idea if I have such chance sometime.
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- Jun 21, 2003
Sort of like everybody, in every situation.
