Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron Win Ice Dance Gold at Olympics
Canada’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron claimed ice dance gold at the Milano Cortina Olympics on February 11, edging Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates in a story of reinvention less than a year after forming their partnership.
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, who became the first ice dancer to win back-to-back Olympic titles with different partners after Cizeron’s 2022 gold with Gabriella Papadakis, scored 135.64 in their free dance for a total of 225.82 points. Chock and Bates, three-time world champions undefeated this season, settled for silver with 224.39 points.
Canadian Team Achieves Milestone
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier captured bronze with 217.74 points, earning their first Olympic medal. The Canadian duo, who have faced personal challenges including Gilles’ battle with ovarian cancer, were overcome with emotion after completing their performance.
Fournier Beaudry, who received French citizenship in November 2025 to compete at the Games, and Cizeron, trained alongside Chock and Bates in Montreal and led after the rhythm dance by just 0.46 points, setting the stage for a tense finale.
Whirlwind Season
The gold medalists were competing in only their fifth international event together. Their free dance, set to the soundtrack of The Whale, was inspired by water, featuring lyrical choreography, seamless edges and airy lifts. Fournier Beaudry collapsed into Cizeron’s arms after their final pose.
«It was really a total release,» Fournier Beaudry said. «Every day spent with Guillaume was magical. He’s the best skater in the world.»
Cizeron called their achievement «quite dizzying» given the challenges faced in forming a new partnership in under a year.
American Silver Medalists
Chock and Bates delivered a dramatic programme to Paint It Black, featuring a matador-and-bull theme with flamenco-inspired choreography. Despite an energetic performance, they fell just short of gold.
«It’s definitely bittersweet,» Chock said through tears. «We’ve had the most incredible career together and delivered four of our best performances this week.»
Controversies and Challenges
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron have faced scrutiny over their partnership. Cizeron’s former partner Papadakis, with whom he won five world titles, labelled him «controlling» and «demanding» in her memoir, which he denies. Fournier Beaudry’s previous partner, Nikolaj Sorensen, had a six-year suspension for sexual maltreatment overturned on jurisdictional grounds.
The Olympic triumph adds a remarkable chapter to a partnership forged less than a year ago, blending resilience, artistry, and determination on the ice.
Kursiv also reports that French figure skating coach Benoit Richaud appeared rinkside wearing different national team jackets within minutes of each other.
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