Secrets from the locker room.
In September the magazine L'illustré accompanied the Swiss on the ice-rink in Turin. There, where usually it is possible to enter: in the heart of locker room, where small details make great victories.
My name is Stéphane Lambiel. On the 2d of April I will be 21 years old and soon I’ll go to the ice of Palavela. Probably to the end of my sports career dreaming: Olympic medal in front of my supporters dressed in red, in a few kilometers away from my home town Valais.
Usually I arrive at the ice rink as late as possible. Though an Olympic Village is quite near, I do not like to stay long in this environment, I prefer to come at the last moment even though my team is afraid of something unexpected.
With me there are Majda Scharl, my physical and mental trainee, my choreograph Salomé Brunner and my coach Peter Grütter, whom I still call Mister Grütter after 11 years of collaboration. I feel good with them. I’m impulsive and I need calm people around me. They are also very sincere. If someone lies to me or shows real interest, I will immediately fix it. It seems that I can judge people very good.
The concrete door to the ice-rink opens for someone to go out and then immediately closes for not escaping the cold. We go under the footsteps and enter into a big holding alley. On the right: first-aid post and doping control. On the left: locker rooms. There are 2 ones for short track and 2 for figure skating, for men and for women. The locker room is small. Almost the same as it was in Moscow. When there are 6 of us from the group, that’s okay, but when meets the group that comes and the group that leaves, that’s doubtful, moreover there are then coaches…
I don’t like failures.Sometimes it seems that better to turn into a girl (?). I watch them. I wish I could be higher, slender. Mr. Grütter always says to me that I have an ideal physical form. “There are no champions higher than 175sentimetr” –repeats he. That’s true because I can hurt myself less than they could (?). It was the last time I watched them. When my rivals fall, it doesn’t make me happy. On the contrary, I turn away. I don’t want to watch. I don’t want to ruin the impression by the mistake. Frankly speaking, I hate the mistakes I make especially by the reason that it’s too early in the season. I don’t like attempts of the first several months, this period of doubt and hesitation.
Sportsmen have many habits. In my locker I always put small bags with sand to absorb the humidity of the ice, a chamois leather to wipe the blades, blade guards which I got during the stay in Jaca – look, with Plushenko!-, a bag with tea tree smell, several bandages, box of Kleenex – skaters spend their lives blowing their noses – and my discs. 2 CDs with soundtracks of my SP and LP and discs that listen now. Recently it is Ben Harper and James Blunt. Music is very important for me. During trainings I like to listen to it. If I skate bad or fell on jumps, music helps me to switch, to dance. to sing.
I take off my shoes and my socks. I rub my bare feet. I do not like my feet and it would pay me dearly for that I show them in public. They are large, thick, distorted by the thousands of hours spent on the ice. They remind the hands of builders. They betray the work and sacrifices. But when you skate, everything has to look light and easy, graceful. I put on a track suit, sneakers and going with Majda to make a warm- up into the adjacent gym. There are bikes, exercise machines, mats for the floor. Warming-up is both physical and mental. I go slowly in my own world. When I return to the locker room, I’m already very concentrated. I think I would not recognize you.
Precious laces I take off my sneakers. I put on my costume. I put on my skates. It takes me some time to feel good inside. I try to use one pair within a year but I cannot. Mr Grütter thinks I exaggerate, that I change them too often; the leather does not stretch as fast as I hope.
I lace the skates up and down. During Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, a shoe-lace has remained in my fingers just before the warming-up before the long program. I always have a second pair with me. Go and find the laces of two meters long by surprise ... In addition, it is necessary that the end is hard enough to cross the stiff leather of the boot. Better to know what can happen and prevent it. Sometimes it's a hook that breaks. It happened at the European Championships in Dortmund. Then I lace the skates and put the lace from inside the boot.
My safety pinI must also have a safety pin. If the costume cracks. It’s an old habit of Mr. Grütter who never forget that day when his suit was torn after a jump away, suggesting a stunning rich- red underwear! I wish I could see it ... But I managed to prevent him from taking a second pair of skates, in case of a blade breaks. That never happened , but it obliges me to have a second pair. Moreover, since the attacks of September 11, we cannot take the skates in hand luggage on airplanes. Skates have to be put into in the baggage cupboard. It is therefore likely just lost two pairs instead of one, it happened in Salt Lake City to an Italian couple. Anyway, I told Mr. Grütter: if one of my blades breaks, I wouldn’t skate.
I am ready. The corridor seems very long this time. I am focused. In tention, but I like this stress that I have before a competition . I know exactly what I have to do and how i have to do it. I embrace Salome and Mr. Grütter before I go. In less than five minutes, I will return to them. I embrace them again. Empty. Happy. L. Fe
Champion TricksNew skatesThe Valais love them to be very rigid, so that the foot is well maintained. Still, he changes them almost every year and now is going to get a new pair. However, he is not very sensitive towards the sharpening of blades, he renews every themevery two months in Geneva.
Laces in case ofThe laces for skates are two meters long. Stéphane laces them up and down. For his first Games in Salt Lake City, one of the laces broke just before the long program. Fortunately, he always carries a spare pair with him.
I love you , I don’tBeing impulsive and spontaneous, Stéphane Lambiel has a love-hate relationship with his sport. When training goes wrong, it is quite familiar when he promises to himself "stop everything". What he never does, of course. "My sport is my whole life, especially this season," he admits.
Mental framesHaving left the locker room, he went to the warming-up gym. The austere mental solitude means concentration. The skater puts mental blinders in order to see nothing but his own program.
Blades in peaceLast September, Stéphane Lambiel arrived in Turin for one week to train in conditions of the Olympics. No matter what place he will have, he will do his maximum.
Champion’s feetHe hates his feet, too powerful, too muscular, too distorted by the thousands of hours spent on the ice.
Facing his fateIn the heart of the Turin ice rink where on Thursday he will gain his Olympic title in figure skating.
Laps onlyThe warming-up is the first thing which has to be done off the ice. The skater raises his heart rhythm, stretches his muscles, make abdominal exercises and repeat his jumps.
Moments of restComing back to the locker room, Stéphane lets himself a little rest to come to his senses and eliminate the vacuum in his head.
PS Would be happy if you correct my mistakes