Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry were crowned Olympic ice dancing champions on Wednesday, a feat even though they have been skating together for barely over a year. They thus offered a seventh medal to France at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, the third in gold.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 22:56

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They did it! French skaters Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry achieved the feat of being crowned Olympic ice dance champions on Wednesday February 11 at the Milan Cortina Games, even though they have been skating together for just over a year.

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For Cizeron, it is even a second Olympic title, four years after the one won with his previous partner, Gabriella Papadakis: an unprecedented feat of arms in skating.

The French had created a little surprise on Monday by already winning the rhythm dance to the sound of Madonna's cult hit "Vogue", with a performance praised by the queen of pop herself on her networks. But nothing was guaranteed since the recent European champions were ahead of their main rivals, the Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, by less than half a point (0.46 pts).

The fight for gold took place on Wednesday on the Milanese ice with the free dance, masterfully performed by Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry. On the ethereal soundtrack of the film “The Whale”, released in 2022, they delivered a timeless performance in their blue outfit playing with transparency. Inspired by the aquatic world, their dance allowed them to express a host of feelings, from power to vulnerability. A suspended moment in the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

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Daring bet for Guillaume Cizeron

The duo entered the ice in last position and with pressure to release, Chock and Bates having performed a high-level dark free dance to the Rolling Stones song "Paint it, Black" in a wild flamenco version. The husband and wife duo were dressed in black and silver, with Chock holding up the red lining of her full skirt for guaranteed drama reminiscent of a matador's muleta. Their performance was rewarded with 134.67 points, a new season record.

But the French did not let themselves be destabilized and also achieved their best free program of the season (135.64). In total, they collect 225.82 points and are ahead of the Americans, who are also their training partners in Montreal, by 1.43 points.

At 31, Guillaume Cizeron took the daring bet of winning a second Olympic title with a new partner, four years after the gold won with Gabriella Papadakis at the Beijing Games. The former tandem withdrew from competition after a fifth world title won in March 2022.

Strong impact in the world of skating

They had formalized the end of their partnership at the end of 2024, before Guillaume Cizeron announced his return to competition to everyone's surprise, with Fournier Beaudry as his new partner. The naturalized French Canadian was available since the suspension of her former partner Nikolaj Sorensen, implicated in a case of “sexual abuse” dating from 2012 in Canada.

As for Cizeron, the duo he formed with Papadakis ended painfully, Papadakis notably accusing him in a book of having exercised a form of “control” over her during their career. This extra-sporting news had a strong impact in the world of skating, but will not have had an impact on the couple's performance in Milan.

At the foot of the podium four years ago at the Beijing Games and three-time reigning world champions, Chock and Bates were heading straight for Olympic gold in Milan for their fourth Games, before the French arrived to spoil the party. The podium is completed by the Canadian couple Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (217.74 pts).

With AFP

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