OLYMPICS: Figure skating-Cizeron aims for another gold with new dance partner in Milano Cortina

MILAN – Guillaume Cizeron is heading into the Milano Cortina Games aiming for a second Olympic ice dancing title, attempting a rare late-career reinvention after dominating the sport for more than a decade with former partner Gabriella Papadakis.

Cizeron, a five-time world champion, won the 2026 European title with new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry, scoring 222.43 points—135.50 in the free dance and 86.93 in the rhythm dance. The results quickly established the pair as credible Olympic contenders less than a year after their first international performance together.

For over 10 years, Cizeron and Papadakis defined ice dance, winning Olympic gold in 2022, silver in 2018, and claiming multiple world and European titles with record-breaking scores and unmatched technical consistency. Their era ended after a post-Beijing pause and eventual split, leaving Cizeron to decide whether to retire at his peak or rebuild with a new partner in a discipline that relies heavily on long-term chemistry.

Choosing to return in 2025 with Fournier Beaudry—an experienced skater who had competed for Denmark and Canada—was widely seen as high risk, as new ice dance pairings often take multiple Olympic cycles to challenge for major titles.

“I had nothing to lose and a deep desire to create something new,” Cizeron said.

The early results proved their potential. Within months, the duo was posting competitive international scores, reaching major championship podiums, winning the European title weeks before the Olympics, and finishing second to Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates in the ISU Grand Prix Final last December.

Off the ice, Cizeron has faced public tension following criticism in his former partner’s memoir, which he disputes and has sought legal advice on. Despite the attention, he has emphasized focusing on performance and preparation for the Olympics.

On the ice, the pair combines Cizeron’s renowned edge control and glide with Fournier Beaudry’s speed and performance projection, producing programs designed to maximize component scores while staying technically conservative enough to avoid costly mistakes.

A second Olympic gold would place Cizeron among the most successful ice dancers in Olympic history. Unlike many champions who retire after Olympic success, he opted for a complete reset—new partner, new choreography, new competitive timeline—while still competing against long-established rivals.

Whether the gamble pays off will come down to execution measured in tenths of points. But after the European title, the partnership has clearly moved from experiment to genuine medal threat as the Milano Cortina Games approach.

-Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters