France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron emerged victorious in the ice dance category at the European figure skating championships in Sheffield, England. Their performance, set to music from the film “The Whale,” earned them a total score of 222.43, the highest in ice dance this season. This win positions them as strong contenders for the gold medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, challenging the American pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
Speaking after their victory, Cizeron, who partnered with Fournier Beaudry for the first time this season, emphasized the significance of the European championships as a milestone in their journey. He acknowledged the importance of this event in their pursuit of improvement and growth as a duo.
Cizeron, who previously won the Olympic gold medal in 2022 with Gabriella Papadakis, addressed recent allegations made by his former partner, describing them as part of a “smear campaign.” Papadakis, who accused Cizeron of being controlling and their partnership as unequal in a published book, revealed on Friday that she had lost a commentary role with NBC for the Winter Olympics.
The experienced Italian pair of Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri secured the silver medal with a score of 210.34, marking their 14th year since their debut at the European championships. They surpassed the British pair Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson to claim second place overall, with Fear and Gibson settling for the bronze medal with a total score of 209.51.