Historic victory for Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry in Milan
It was an evening that goes down in the history books. On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry won the gold medal in ice dancing during the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. In a thrilling final at the Mediolanum Forum, they left the competition behind with a routine that made the hearts of the 9,700 spectators present beat faster.
The battle for gold was unprecedentedly exciting. The French duo, who had already taken the lead after the short dance on Monday, had to pull out all the stops to stay ahead of American favorites Madison Chock and Evan Bates. With a score of 135.64 in the free dance, they ultimately finished less than a point above the Americans, who improved their season record to 134.67. It was a nerve-wracking seven-minute wait for the final result, but when the green appeared on the scoreboard, the relief burst forth.
According to the reporting by Le Monde, the performance of the duo was the highlight of a very successful day for the French delegation, which secured a total of four medals.
The magic of a new collaboration
From my 30 years of experience in the dance world, I look at this victory with a specific perspective. We all know Guillaume Cizeron, of course, from his years of dominance with Gabriella Papadakis. Switching to a new partner is always a huge risk in the dance world. You not only have to become technically attuned to each other but also find a new artistic chemistry that convinces the jury.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry, who previously competed for Canada, has proven to be the perfect match for Cizeron's fluid, almost ethereal style. What we saw tonight was no standard athletic performance; it was a 4-minute and 30-second ballet in which theater, technique, and pure emotion merged. The way they executed their twizzles and the deep edges they sought in their gliding phases testify to a level we rarely see.
In a live report by 20 Minutes, the atmosphere was aptly described: the audience laughed and cried along with the French. That is exactly what connects elite sport and elite dance: the ability to tell a story without saying a word.
What we as dancers can learn from this routine
When I look at the footage, I see elements that we can directly translate to the dance floor, whether you dance salsa, ballroom, or modern. Specifically, there are three points that made this golden routine so strong:
- Connection without eye contact: Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry feel each other's axis flawlessly. Even when they skate meters apart, the energetic connection is visible. That is the basis of every good partner dance.
- Vertical control: Despite the speed on the ice, their upper bodies remained completely in control and expressive. In salsa, we call that isolation, and here it was worked out to perfection.
- Timing of emotion: They peaked not only technically but also emotionally at the right accents in the music. That is what ultimately gives a jury that extra point.
An emotional farewell or a new beginning?
Laurence's tears in Guillaume's arms after their program spoke volumes. After a period of hard work and the necessary criticism of their partnership, this gold is the ultimate confirmation. For Cizeron, who already had legendary status, this is a crowning achievement of his career. He shows that he can adapt and reinvent himself with another partner, something that is often underestimated in the dance world.
The competition was cutthroat. Madison Chock and the American delegation congratulated the duo sportingly, but the difference of less than a point shows how close the world's best are. The judging system, often criticized for its complexity, ultimately tipped the scales on the artistic components where the French were just a bit stronger.
At Miss Salsa, we follow these kinds of developments closely. Ice dancing is essentially ballroom on skates, and the trends we see here — in music choice, costumes, and choreography — often trickle down to the regular dance world. This gold for Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry will undoubtedly lead to a new wave of lyrical and theatrical choreographies on dance floors worldwide.