After skating together for only nine months, ice dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron of France win their first international competition together, which happened to be the ISU Grand Prix de France. Just a few weeks later, the new couple strikes gold again at the ISU Grand Prix Finlandia Trophy and qualifies for the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, December 4-7. In Ice Dance, this is something that never happens. On the other hand, no Olympic Ice Dance Champion has ever returned to competition with a new partner. Guillaume Cizeron did. 

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) won their first ISU Grand Prix after less than a year of skating together © ISU

With long-time partner Gabriella Papadakis, the Frenchman won everything you can win in the sport: Olympic gold in 2022 and Olympic silver in 2018, five ISU World and European titles, many ISU Grand Prix events, National Championships, international competitions, you name it. Everything. Following their triumph in 2022, Papadakis & Cizeron took a break and eventually went different ways in their careers. 

„I just missed it“, Cizeron said about competing. “I think every athlete knows when it's the moment to retire and I didn't feel like that moment had come just yet and so I saw an opportunity to live another beautiful journey.”

“Another challenge,” Fournier Beaudry interjected. 

“Another challenge, another journey and I'm glad I did it,” Cizeron continued. 

He was the one to do the first step. He suggested Laurence Fournier Beaudry, a high-level Canadian ice dancer in the Ice Academy of Montreal and his best friend, to try out. She did not hesitate. 

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) perform their Rhythm Dance to "Vogue" by Madonna © ISU

A spectacular debut 

Months of hard and extensive training followed and then the spectacular international debut in Angers at the first ISU Grand Prix of the season.

”It means a lot to be here together,” Cizeron commented. “We were really looking forward to this first international competition together. It was a really special, a magical moment. We had been away from competition ice for a little while, so it was an amazing feeling to feel those butterflies again. We had two really good performances and so much pleasure. 

“It's a really good start,” he continued. “It's also experience in our bag for the next competition. I feel we're going to be able to really build a lot on this first experience together and, and get ready for the long road that's ahead. We’re trying to learn from every experience and to improve each time.”

For Fournier Beaudry, one word sums her experience: Gratitude. 

“I feel a lot of gratitude before stepping on the ice. It's very special to skate with your best friend every day and to skate with the best in the world. I feel extremely supported by him and by our team and I'm having pleasure every day.”

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) feel that everything happened naturally in their new partnership © ISU

At age 33 and 31, both are experienced and successful ice dancers that look back at a long career. Nevertheless, they ventured into unknown territory, starting from scratch with a new partner in a discipline where the unison and oneness that comes with years of training is highly valued. 

Nevertheless, they felt everything happened naturally for them.

“Nothing was really difficult,” Fournier Beaudry said. “From the moment we started, we clicked right away. We have so much respect for each other and so much love for what we do together that it was just an enjoyment from the very beginning.

We realized that we listen very well to each other. We are not doing what we have done for ten years with the same person, therefore there is an exchange between us. In the first months, it was about to learn how we are doing things. At the same time, it was a discovery, an experiment and it happened naturally,” she explained. 

“When we took this gamble, we saw the potential. We had very high expectations of ourselves, but we came together as a team to achieve what we have achieved.”

"The Whale" - a special program 

While their Rhythm Dance to “Vogue” by Madonna is fun to watch, it is their Free Dance set to music from “The Whale” soundtrack by Rob Simonsen that really caught everyone’s attention. 

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) perform their Free Dance to "The Whale" soundtrack © ISU 

“We both researched what we would like to do and how to push our qualities,” Fournier Beaudry said about the Free Dance. “Guillaume had the idea and presented the music. I listened to the piece and I had the goosebumps. I said right away that this is a great idea. This music touches us both.”

“I hoped that Laurence would feel the same I felt when she heard this music but I had that the intuition that she would,” Cizeron noted. “You have tears in your eyes and goosebumps when you listen to this music. This represents very much what we live on the ice as these are moments of extreme intensity.”

The skaters went to Switzerland and worked with Stéphane Lambiel “to get the creative juice started”, as Cizeron put it. “Then we came back to Montreal with a lot of really interesting material and we choreographed the piece with Marie-France (Dubreuil) and it kind of just flowed,” he continued. “I think it was very instinctive. Conceptually, I think there was a lot of inspiration to draw from the piece itself because it has a lot of special textures. It tells a story but it's kind of up to everyone to understand it in their own way and we like it that way. I think it's very hard not to be touched by that piece of music and we wanted to honor it and try to get as close as possible to the feeling that we have listening to it and portray that on the ice,” he concluded.

“We discovered ourselves building that program together,” Fournier Beaudry added. “I think it was really a discovery. It was extremely unique to choreograph that so early in our partnership. We brought a lot of each other into that program and a lot of strength and vulnerability at the same time. It's something that's extremely special to share.”

The journey has just started 

Fournier Beaudry & Cizeron continued their success in Finland with another gold medal, creating another magic moment for themselves and the audience.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) celebrate their second ISU Grand Prix victory at the Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki © ISU

“It was our first time competing outside of France,” Cizeron noted. “We're very proud of what we achieved here. We're very, very happy with the moment that we had on the ice.”

For the French ice dance couple, the success on the ISU Grand Prix is just the beginning. 

“We have the ambition to win the Grand Prix Final,” Fournier Beaudry, who was just naturalized as French citizen in November, said. “Then we’ll go to France for French Nationals, get some time to rest with the family on Christmas. Then we’re planning to go Europeans and winning Europeans and go to the Olympics.”