France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron clinched victory in the ice dance competition at the European figure skating championships held in Sheffield, England. The event was marked by a dispute involving Cizeron and his former dance partner. Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry, who hails from Montreal and transitioned from representing Canada to becoming a French citizen in November, earned 135.50 points for their free skate routine set to music from the film “The Whale,” securing a total score of 222.43. This total stands as the highest score in ice dance for the season, solidifying their position as strong contenders against American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates for the gold medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
“This European championship was a significant milestone for us,” mentioned Cizeron, reflecting on their first appearance at the event. “It establishes a crucial foundation for our continuous improvement,” he added, highlighting the duo’s growth potential. Cizeron, who previously won the Olympic gold medal in 2022 with Gabriella Papadakis, faced allegations from Papadakis in her published book, labeling him as controlling and their partnership as imbalanced. Cizeron denied these claims, attributing them to a deliberate “smear campaign.” Papadakis revealed that she lost a commentary role with NBC for the Winter Olympics as a consequence.
Additionally, the veteran Italian pair of Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri, marking 14 years since their European championship debut in Sheffield, secured the silver medal with a score of 210.34. The Italian duo surpassed British favorites Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, who initially held the second position after the rhythm dance but ultimately settled for third place overall with a score of 209.51.