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Joubert takes Russian scalp on ice

France's Brian Joubert, center, shows his gold medal after winning the European Figure Skating Championships 2004 free skating program ahead of Russian Evgeni Plushenko, left, and Russian Ilia Klimkin at Budapest's Sport Arena on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

Brian Joubert did what no other man has done in European, world or Olympic figure skating since 1998.

He beat a Russian.

The 19-year-old Joubert upset Evgeni Plushenko to capture the European men's title on Thursday with a clean routine, while Plushenko made three major mistakes.

Since 1998, either Ilya Kulik, Alexei Yagudin or Plushenko had won every European, world and Olympic title.

Joubert became the first Frenchman in 40 years to win the European men's title, and he had help from Yagudin. Yagudin was beside Joubert when he won the French championship in December.

"It was a big surprise," Joubert said. "Very big. At this moment I haven't realized what is happened to me. It will be tomorrow I will realize that.

"It's wonderful to recapture the title for France after 40 years. Too bad the Olympic Games don't take place in Hungary."

The last French champion, Alain Calmat, won successive titles from 1962 to 1964, and was present to see Joubert's victory.

"It was an emotional moment. It's like a rebirth. I am very proud of the French Federation," said Calmat, a former French sports minister. "I am glad that it is Brian Joubert. He is very smart and a beautiful skater. He is very fresh and clean in his head."

Joubert, who won bronze and silver medals the previous two years, completed two quads and six triples in his program to The Matrix soundtrack. He scored from 5.7 to 5.9 for technical merit, and 5.5 to 5.8 for presentation.

"I tried to be Neo from the Matrix movie and that's hard," Joubert said. "I try to look like Neo, and I took five or six moves out of the movie."

Joubert knew he put pressure on Plushenko with his clean routine, skating before the Russian.

"It was very difficult for him because I did a very good program. So there was a lot of pressure."

Plushenko was seeking his fourth European title but had an off night. Although he started brilliantly with a quad-triple-double, he sprawled on a first attempt at a triple axel, and popped the second one to only a single.

"After I did the combination I just wanted to do two triple axels," Plushenko said.

He missed his first two tries but came back later in the program to improvise a triple axel-triple toe loop-double loop. But it wasn't enough.

He also fell attempting a triple flip.

He still had marks of 5.4 to 5.8 for technique and up to 5.9 for presentation.

"I feel fine, I am ready for losing -- this is just sport," Plushenko said.

"I don't know what happened, maybe it was psychological," he added. "I still look forward to going to the world championships. I will skate better.

"Things like this happen. It is not the end of life. I am already a three-time European and two-time world champion. I have many titles."

Joubert said the reason for him winning was simple: "I did two quads."

Russia's Ilya Klimkin came third for his first medal in major European competition.

The women start their competition Friday, with Russia's Elena Sokolova holding strong hopes of taking over the European throne from the absent Irina Slutskaya.
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