(Quebec) Like it or not, Laurent Dubreuil is intrinsically honest, transparent and frank. Aware of breaking the mold, he never intended to cross-dress, whether on the ice or in front of the cameras. And he won’t apologize for it.
“Sorry, I’m late,” says Dubreuil upon his arrival at the Quebec Ice Center.
It was 1:01 p.m. The meeting was set for 1 p.m.
For the average person, a minute is not even within the margin of error.
For a skater who lost the 500m world title by 0.36 seconds, 1 minute is an eternity.
With his Canadian team tracksuit and backpack, the 31-year-old athlete sits at one of the tables in the arena cafeteria. A place that has become his second home. Where he spends the majority of his days training for the upcoming season.
“Yesterday, I trained just in the afternoon,” he explains, “because in the morning I had to go to a medical appointment with my children. When I was younger, this kind of hindrance would have pissed me off, but now it doesn’t bother me at all. Now, I am a parent before being a skater. »
And it is with this same disconcerting honesty that Dubreuil usually shares his feelings. In his post-race interviews or at a table in an arena in October, the winner of 31 World Cup medals never beat around the bush.
When he skates well, he doesn’t hesitate to recognize it. When he performs less well, he is also the first to point it out. And that’s one of the reasons why he stands out among his Olympian counterparts.
When he was younger, his parents even criticized him for being “too direct.”
Even today, this outspokenness is part of him. “Let’s say my girlfriend asks me if dinner was good,” he says. If I didn’t like it, I’ll tell him. But that’s also how I want people to act towards me. I think it’s a quality. »
In his opinion, honesty is the greatest gift those around him can give him. “Too much politeness makes it not authentic and I don’t think it’s good. Especially not in sports. »
He asks his coaches to identify his faults. To be transparent. It is with this approach and this relationship of confidence that Dubreuil managed to win the cumulative 500m title over the last two seasons. “I’m the first to criticize myself if things don’t go well and I won’t be embarrassed either, if I win two races in a row, to say that I’m the best in the world. And the opposite is also true. There are so many athletes who finish 17th and it’s never their fault. »
In fact, Dubreuil mainly wants it to be true, he doesn’t want it to be beautiful.
“What’s inauthentic irritates me,” he persists. And since one of his deepest wishes is to be a good role model, he wants to be as real as possible.
On his wish list, at the top, is the desire to be a good father. With children ages 4 and 1 at home, Dubreuil’s priorities have evolved.
The silver medalist at the Beijing Olympic Games is still feverish at the start of a new season, but he is “able to break away from the skate”.
It was at the age of 27, in 2019, that the former junior world champion “unlocked”. On the one hand, because the Canadian team has changed its physical trainer and its way of training, but also thanks to the birth of Rose, its eldest.
Believing himself condemned to unlacing his skates while watching his rivals climb onto the podium, he won seven medals before becoming a father. Over the past four years, he has brought home 24.
“I’m less stressed than before when I arrive at a race, because I know there are other, more important things in life. If I’m in Europe and I finished seventh and I call Rose, she doesn’t care, she’s just happy that I called her. »
This didn’t happen often last year, however, because Dubreuil is still at the top of his game. He reached the podium 7 times in 12 races, in addition to defending his overall title.
But in the family nest, medals have become more decorations than trophies to impress visitors.
To tell the truth, these medals are pieces from the archives. Because paternity was not imposed. It was a choice. Dubreuil always cherished the dream of becoming a father while skating at the highest level.
“I wanted my kids to remember it so they could have a role model of someone who discovered their passion. And that’s what I want them to remember. It’s not that Dad was good, but that he was happy and loved what he did. »
And his partner Andréanne is not left out. A primary school teacher, “she loves what she does too”.
And it is thanks to this perspective, between trips to daycare and the clinic, that Dubreuil was finally able to become the father and the man he dreamed of becoming.
The new World Cup season begins Friday in Japan. The last campaign ended badly for Dubreuil in Poland with a sixth position in the 500m and a tenth place in the 1000m.
Nevertheless, the Lévis skater is excited to take back the necklace. “I think when I no longer look forward to the day before the World Cups, I will retire. »
Limited for two months by a knee injury, he is not arriving with as much pace as desired, but he claims to be fully recovered. He is currently the best in the world at his distance and he is motivated to retain the title.
In his early thirties, Dubreuil is aware of having an expiration date, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, whom he cites.
“As I get older, I understand that it won’t last forever. I don’t know how long I have left to be good. Statistically, it’s more and more likely that I earn less and less. »
Especially with the spectacular arrival of the young American prodigy Jordan Stolz, winner over the three individual distances at the most recent World Championships.
“He skated better that weekend than I will have ever skated in my life,” Dubreuil said of the 19-year-old sensation.
At least Stolz is better over 1000m, therefore giving the Quebecer some room to maneuver over 500m.
But the latter is still just as hungry. He wants to become world champion again, win the 500m cumulative title again, win Olympic gold and eventually get to 50 World Cup medals. “It’s by giving yourself goals that you stay lit,” he explains.
Whether or not he achieves his goals, Dubreuil will invariably be the first to judge his performances and bring them back to the table for discussion when the time comes. Because he is like that, proud and free, whether you like it or not.
