France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron clinched the ice dance title at the European figure skating championships in Sheffield, England on Saturday, following a period of tension between Cizeron and his former dance partner. Cizeron, alongside Fournier Beaudry, a Montreal native who transitioned from representing Canada to becoming a French citizen in November, garnered 135.50 points in their free skate set to music from the film “The Whale,” accumulating a total score of 222.43. This score marks the highest in ice dance for the current season, solidifying their contention against American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates for the gold medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
Reflecting on their achievement, Cizeron, who embarked on his inaugural season with Fournier Beaudry, emphasized the significance of their performance at the European championships. He stated, “It was a really important step for us, the first European championships for us. It’s setting a really important base for us to keep getting better.” Notably, Cizeron had previously secured the Olympic gold medal in 2022 with Gabriella Papadakis, who recently published a book characterizing their dynamic as one-sided and him as controlling. In response, Cizeron refuted these allegations, labeling them as part of a “smear campaign.” Papadakis disclosed that she lost a commentary role with NBC for the Winter Olympics.
Meanwhile, the seasoned Italian duo of Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri, marking their 14th year since their debut at the European championships in Sheffield, secured the silver medal with a score of 210.34. The Italians surpassed British favorites Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, who initially held the second position after the rhythm dance but ultimately claimed the third spot overall with a score of 209.51.