France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron emerged victorious in the ice dance event at the European figure skating championships held in Sheffield, England. The duo, scoring 135.50 points in their free skate routine set to music from the film “The Whale,” achieved a total score of 222.43. This marked the highest total score in ice dance for the season, solidifying their position as strong contenders against American pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates for the gold medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
Cizeron, who recently transitioned to representing France and partnered with Fournier Beaudry, expressed the significance of their win at their first European championships, stating that it lays a crucial foundation for their continuous improvement. Despite winning the Olympic gold in 2022 with Gabriella Papadakis, Cizeron faced controversy as Papadakis accused him of being controlling and described their partnership as unequal in her published book. Cizeron refuted these claims, labeling them as part of a “smear campaign.” Papadakis also revealed losing a commentary role with NBC for the Winter Olympics.
In the competition, the seasoned Italian duo of Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri secured the silver medal with a total score of 210.34. The Italians surpassed the home favorites Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Britain, who initially stood in second place after the rhythm dance but ultimately finished third overall with a score of 209.51.