Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry Strike Gold in Ice Dancing Upset
A stunning upset unfolded on Wednesday at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, as French figure skaters Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry claimed Olympic gold in ice dancing, achieving the feat after just one year of competing as a duo. The pair edged out reigning world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA, while Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier secured the bronze medal.
Cizeron, 31, now boasts a second consecutive Olympic gold in ice dance, following his victory at the Beijing Winter Olympics four years prior with former partner Gabriella Papadakis. Cizeron and Papadakis retired after winning their fifth world title in 2022, paving the way for his partnership with Fournier Beaudry, 33, last March.
The French duo entered the free dance finale with a narrow 0.46-point advantage over the American team. Despite the pressure, they delivered a mesmerizing performance set to the soundtrack of the 2022 film “The Whale,” ultimately finishing 1.43 points ahead of Chock and Bates.
The Americans, close friends and training partners in Montreal, presented a passionate flamenco routine to an orchestral rendition of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.” However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the French pair’s captivating performance. Gilles and Poirier’s bronze-medal-winning routine, a tribute to Vincent van Gogh set to “Starry, Starry Night,” resonated with the audience and narrowly pushed Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri into fourth place.
Fournier Beaudry’s journey to this victory was marked by a significant personal transition. The Canadian-born skater received French citizenship last November. Her availability as a partner arose following the suspension of her previous skating partner, Nikolaj Sorensen, who faced allegations in connection with a 2012 sexual abuse case in Canada – allegations he has denied. Sorensen was reportedly present in the Milan crowd.
The road to the Games was not without its challenges for Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry. Just three weeks before the competition, a controversy erupted with the publication of Papadakis’s book, in which she offered a critical assessment of her former partnership with Cizeron, alleging she had been under his “control” during their time skating together. This revelation added another layer of complexity to an already compelling story.
