Skaters We'll Miss, Part 1: Brian Joubert
After each Olympic season, there is a handful of skaters who decide to withdraw from competitive life. As natural as the process is, for most athletes' careers in sport are limited, retirements always bring nostalgia and even tears with them. And yet, they are also a chance to look back on the amazing journeys some of our favourite skaters have had. BRIAN JOUBERT Budapest Sports Arena, February 2004: A 19 year-old boy wearing a black latex costume is waiting for his music to start. You don't need to hear it to know what his programme is going to be about - the green numbers dripping down from his left shoulder give it away. This is the story of The Matrix , a remarkable piece of cinema, whose last chapter was released less than four months ago. What most people, including the skater himself, don't know is that in just five minutes, he'll make history and become a superstar. Skating in Budapest, 2004. Photograph: Getty Images That night in Budapest, Brian Joube...