Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron to skate together for France

[4everchan]

She always appeared very French to me. Her name and the fact she can speak French.

LOL... she is Québécoise... Beaudry and Fournier are common names in Québec. And of course she can speak French, it's her mother tongue... Are you really oblivious of the entire reality of Québec my Canadian friend ??

Representing France seems to be their ticket to the upcoming Olympics. I had as locks for the podium. With in the mix, one of these teams will not podium.

Maybe... Maybe not..

I’m excited for next season! May the best ice dancers win!!

I like sport... after the initial shock, I will be rooting for them too, if they're gelling and have good programs

 

[elektra blue]

Lauriault and Le Gac have already been to an Olympics (when they competed for France). Should they step aside for Fabbri and Ayer, just to make it "fair"?

now i'm confused, can you show me where i said something like that?

Lauriault/Le Gac are veterans who are backing up in the standings due to not having great blade skills. They do a lot of tricks (fun and entertaining) with their upper bodies in order to take the focus away from their lack of blade skills. They skate a lot on the flats of their blades. Fabbri/Ayer have benefited by the fact Laurance & Sorensen are out of the Canadian ice dance lineup. F/A are young and talented. They will be okay.

It appears that Guillaume & Laurance will skate for France, in any case, which makes sense, so maybe your sympathies should be with the up-and-coming French teams. Honestly, this is the sport and that's the way it is. Remember when Virtue/Moir came back? Weaver/Poje and Pap/Ciz, among other teams, had to deal with V/M's return.

that point was cleared after my post, you're late.

I don't think Jean-Luc would come back.. He also had his share of injuries and issues. The UK already has two very good teams and perhaps you will get Beaumont back soon The way their season is going, I don't know what will happen to BaBe.

nooooooooooo they're one of my favourite team!

 

[TallyT]

I´m not sure how I feel about this. Obviously they are both very skilled and talented - and it might end up with one of the best teams we have seen and i´m curious to see how that works. On the other side - my perception of Cizeron is not good after what I have been reading about him not supporting Gabby through difficult times and him supporting Nik, and it feels hard to be supportive.

Errr... from what I have read, she was all for defending Sorensen too, right up until the moment the suspension impacted her own career. That may sound harsh (they were/are romantically involved, I understand?) but I do think, sauce for the goose and all that, if you criticise him for that you cannot exempt her. The Gabby stuff is separate.

I can't drum up much interest, they both seem rather unpleasant - not that that matters in sport - and it has too much whiff of the James/Radford thing.

 

[Arigato]

I don't care about gossip. Anyone who can skate like Cizeron shouldn't quit for any reason, so whatever it takes to get back on the ice - do it.

 

[TT_Fin]

In the sense though that would be replacing the current top teams, who already do not have to be better to get better scores (not saying they are not better, more that they get the scores reguardless of if they skate better)

Agree. And in ID is has always been so. Also in other disciplines, but most in ID.

 

[DancingCactus]

I'm not sure what to think. I don't like the rumors but then again, I don't know these people, I enjoy them in the ice. Who knows what's going on behind the scenes.

I'm curious of what kind of style they're going to represent. Idon't think they should limit themselves to classical.

One thing I know is this is going to be interesting.

 

[pearly]

I find some of the reactions on here and social media are just ridiculous.

It's not "unfair" on other teams- it's a competition. If they're the better than other teams then they're better. Those other teams have to do their best. If that's not good enough, then it's not. A lot of people want to go to the Olympics and the majority of them can't and don't. That's the reality.


Plus they might not end up doing as well as some assume or there could be citizenship issues. Have they even said that 2026 is actually their aim? Stop jumping to conclusions.

You are 100% correct regarding how they may end up doing. They are both adults with well developed skating skills and individual styles. Each of them was matched with a former partner. They need to adjust their skating styles and skills now. No medals are guaranteed just because they were both good with their former partners.

I am a big fan of her and loved her skating with Nikolaj. I gotta say, I much preferred their 'solid' programs to the more avant garde and conceptual programs of Papadakis and Cizeron so I do hope we get to see some of that from the new team, although I do expect them to skate more in the former P&C style.

I do think they are in for 2026 and not necessarily 2030, but the 2030 Olympics are in France so you never know.

Go new team, this really makes the next season(s) exciting.

 

[Andrina]

Right at the moment when I was about to stop watching figure skating, he comes back...

I will root for Guillaume whatever he does as long as he brings art on ice. And wins gold medals.

I don't believe they will be podium contenders in 2026. With Italians at home, GP gettings their first olympic medal, and the gold going back to the USA after 10+ years, there is no way.

But the next Games are in France - then we will talk.

P.S.: I saw Guillaume had completely renewed his IG and they are now giving one interview after another. The PR machine is working at full speed, so i am sure they are taking it seriously and will be fighting from the very start.

 

[throw_triple_flip]

I agree it's not unfair to other teams. I think that saying, like I did that " i feel sad for Theo and Loicia" is still appropriate and genuine.

That I would understand, but is that really what everyone is actually saying? I don't think so.

 

[4everchan]

That I would understand, but is that really what everyone is actually saying? I don't think so.

well, that's what I am saying, that's what some others are saying too At least, that's what I am reading

there was huge uproar when Eric came back with Vanessa... because he had been choreo for Walsh and Michaud...

I would understand if people reacted because Guilllaume has been working closely at IAM with some teams, especially direct competitors now Lopareva-Brissaud. I can understand why people react... I give you an example. What if, as a musician, I decided to return to competing and competed against the new talent I am personally bringing up I am sure a bunch of people would react ...

So though I think sport is sport.. Though I am looking forward what these do will come up with, and though I am not saying it's unfair, I am a bit more nuanced and able to understand why some/many people would have these thoughts.

 

[TontoK]

I don't care about gossip. Anyone who can skate like Cizeron shouldn't quit for any reason, so whatever it takes to get back on the ice - do it.

I won't pretend to be immune from the allure of good gossip. It's a human thing, but the titillation is short-lived.

From a fan perspective, I don't care one way or the other about that. They'll either entertain me, or they won't. They'll surpass other teams, or they won't.

My position is that I'm interested in finding out how this partnership plays out, but by no means am I emotionally invested. But I'm emotionally invested in very few athletes. (I was going to say that number is none, but I am invested in Max Naumov for reasons that have nothing to do with on-ice)

 

[ajingmarg]

I don't care about gossip. Anyone who can skate like Cizeron shouldn't quit for any reason, so whatever it takes to get back on the ice - do it.

They both have great lines and looks

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Why would Canada release her knowing that it could stop Paul and Piper from the Olympic podium? I thought they had a 2 year hold on national team skaters? They would be well within their rights to keep the contract and say they can start as a pair for France the following season.

Piper & Paul as well as Chock & Bates, et al., are veterans who know the lay of the land. They are accustomed to doing battle. You may as well complain about a Russian team being allowed at the Olympics causing problems for Deanna & Max's Olympic podium hopes, too. At the end of the day, it's a competition and anything can and does happen.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Errr... she was all for defending Sorensen too, right up until the moment the suspension impacted her own career. That may sound harsh (they were/are romantically involved ....

I can't drum up much interest, they both seem rather unpleasant - not that that matters in sport - and it has too much whiff of the James/Radford thing.

It is extremely unfair and OTT to taint and pile-on either Guillame or Laurance regarding the private interactions and associations they have with others whose behavior and choices are not controlled by Guillaume and Laurence. This should be about G&L's new partnership, not about their personal lives and off-ice conflicts.

That's such a disparaging comment toward James/Radford, too. I'm not sure what all the negativity toward J/R is about, especially in this thread. They initially began skating together for fun bts at shows, including the Blades on Ice entertainment series. In the beginning, Eric & Vanessa talked about skating together professionally. Then, it was Eric, fully backed by Skate Canada, who asked Vanessa (a Canadian-born citizen) to partner with him competitively for the 2021-22 Olympic season, contingent upon her release from France, which surprisingly came through quickly, as Didier G was not at the helm.

J/R were courageous in not giving up when they encountered difficulty making adjustments as new partners. It is particularly not easy to come together quickly as a pairs team and immediately win top medals simply because of past individual championship experience. I admire J/R for their grit and determination. Ultimately, they achieved what Skate Canada had hoped to gain from them in aiding the rebuilding of Canadian pairs. And, of course, SC was fortunate to have Deanna S-D & Max Deschamps prepared and waiting in the wings for their opportunity.

Honestly, when any veteran skater comes back to the competitive arena, it is usually out of a personal drive to continue to fulfill competitive goals and dreams. Witness Deanna Stellato-Dudek's amazing journey. As well, instead of focusing on J/R's ultimately successful one-season pairs journey, why not focus on Virtue/Moir's two-season Olympic ice dance comeback journey? I can understand the feelings of dismay for fave teams that will have more competitive obstacles to face (e.g., Lajoie/ Lagha, et al). However, many skaters respect each other, no matter if they are direct rivals (e.g., Hubbell/ Donahue and Chock/ Bates).

In response to the discussion elsewhere in this thread regarding Eric Radford having completed choreo for M-T/M, prior to his decision to make a comeback with Vanessa, those are separate occurrences. Eric did choreo and composed music for several skaters. His evolving decision and unexpected opportunity to come back to the competitive arena, IMO, has no bearing on the work he did for other skaters. It is sad that M-T/M and in particular, Evelyn Walsh and her coach, made the choice to respond bitterly and to publicly expose themselves as taking Eric's comeback with Vanessa so personally.

Regardless of their status, no skater should ever feel as if their ticket to the Olympics is fully punched and decided. For the most part, Olympic assignments are earned, usually right up to the last minute, albeit that luck and politics are often involved. Figure skating is what it is. The competitive structure is what it is, and it is beyond time for it to be beneficially reformed for the athletes. At this stage, though, I do not see positive change happening in my lifetime. But again, in the meantime, c'est la vie in figure skating. I am eager to see what Laurence and Guillaume might be able to accomplish together with their unique and enormous individual talents.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

What if, as a musician, I decided to return to competing and competed against the new talent I am personally bringing up I am sure a bunch of people would react

The musician analogy does not make relevant sense to me. AFAIK, established musicians do not necessarily 'compete' against up-and-coming musicians. I realize there are competitive contests in music, but those are typically for young, up-and-coming musical artists to gain exposure and contracts. I doubt that musicians, actors, and ballet dancers think about competitive artistic challenges in the same vein as do competitive figure skaters in the athletic arena. In any case, skaters and artists of every stripe understand the competition they undergo is generally always with themselves. IOW, the cliche talking point: "I focus on doing my best, which is the only thing within my control."

 

[Rebecca Moose]

How tasteless for them to announce this the day of Legacy of Ice. Couldn't they wait one additional day?

I shudder imagining the ostentatiously pretentious programs and music Cizeron will grace us with next season.

 

[4everchan]

The musician analogy does not make relevant sense to me. AFAIK, established musicians do not necessarily 'compete' against up-and-coming musicians. I realize there are competitive contests in music, but those are typically for young, up-and-coming musical artists to gain exposure and contracts. I doubt that musicians, actors, and ballet dancers think about competitive artistic challenges in the same vein as do competitive figure skaters in the athletic arena. In any case, skaters and artists of every stripe understand the competition they undergo is generally always with themselves. IOW, the cliche talking point: "I focus on doing my best, which is the only thing within my control."

Oh please. The analogy is fine and I know what I am talking about thank you

Simple example since you doubt of its relevance... Doctoral students in their mid to late twenties (most competitions have an age limit of 30) are often asked to teach undergraduates.. so yeah... they could meet at the same event and some people may whine that of course, the more mature, experienced musician would have a better chance at winning... some other people may find it exciting that younger students get to measure their talent against a more seasoned artists.. Also, just so you know, music competitions have become a huge business and without them, it's pretty hard to have a performing career. For instance, if one wins the Chopin competition, they are set for life... and that competition is once every 5 years... sort of like... the Olympics

My point was simply that people would react either way... because people are like that.... I was a competitive swimmer and people reacted when a really tall guy would be competing against shorter guys Yeah... because in swimming, you better be tall and not everyone gets their big growth spurt at the same time... mine was early and I was winning most of my races until almost everyone outgrew me when they did have their growth spurt

Again, my point isn't for or against the new partnership... I am happy that Lolo is getting a way to end her career in a more positive manner.
My point was that to show that it is absolutely NORMAL for people to react one way or another when such a new partnership is announced. It's not everyday that an Olympic champion in ice dance returns to the ice with a very good partner and under these circumstances.

 

[TallyT]

It is extremely unfair and OTT to taint and pile-on either Guillame or Laurance regarding the private interactions and associations they have with others whose behavior and choices are not controlled by Guillaume and Laurence. This should be about G&L's new partnership, not about their personal lives and off-ice conflicts.

That's such a disparaging comment toward James/Radford, too. I'm not sure what all the negativity toward J/R is about, especially in this thread. They initially began skating together for fun bts at shows, including the Blades on Ice entertainment series. In the beginning, Eric & Vanessa talked about skating together professionally. Then, it was Eric, fully backed by Skate Canada, who asked Vanessa (a Canadian-born citizen) to partner with him competitively for the 2021-22 Olympic season, contingent upon her release from France, which surprisingly came through quickly, as Didier G was not at the helm.

J/R were courageous in not giving up when they encountered difficulty making adjustments as new partners. It is particularly not easy to come together quickly as a pairs team and immediately win top medals simply because of past individual championship experience. I admire J/R for their grit and determination. Ultimately, they achieved what Skate Canada had hoped to gain from them in aiding the rebuilding of Canadian pairs. And, of course, SC was fortunate to have Deanna S-D & Max Deschamps prepared and waiting in the wings for their opportunity.

Honestly, when any veteran skater comes back to the competitive arena, it is usually out of a personal drive to continue to fulfill competitive goals and dreams. Witness Deanna Stellato-Dudek's amazing journey. As well, instead of focusing on J/R's ultimately successful one-season pairs journey, why not focus on Virtue/Moir's two-season Olympic ice dance comeback journey? I can understand the feelings of dismay for fave teams that will have more competitive obstacles to face (e.g., Lajoie/ Lagha, et al). However, many skaters respect each other, no matter if they are direct rivals (e.g., Hubbell/ Donahue and Chock/ Bates).

In response to the discussion elsewhere in this thread regarding Eric Radford having completed choreo for M-T/M, prior to his decision to make a comeback with Vanessa, those are separate occurrences. Eric did choreo and composed music for several skaters. His evolving decision and unexpected opportunity to come back to the competitive arena, IMO, has no bearing on the work he did for other skaters. It is sad that M-T/M and in particular, Evelyn Walsh and her coach, made the choice to respond bitterly and to publicly expose themselves as taking Eric's comeback with Vanessa so personally.

Regardless of their status, no skater should ever feel as if their ticket to the Olympics is fully punched and decided. For the most part, Olympic assignments are earned, usually right up to the last minute, albeit that luck and politics are often involved. Figure skating is what it is. The competitive structure is what it is, and it is beyond time for it to be beneficially reformed for the athletes. At this stage, though, I do not see positive change happening in my lifetime. But again, in the meantime, c'est la vie in figure skating. I am eager to see what Laurence and Guillaume might be able to accomplish together with their unique and enormous individual talents.

You have your opinion on all these people, I have mine, the cases - and the backstories - are somewhat and depressingly similar.

 

[pearly]

How tasteless for them to announce this the day of Legacy of Ice. Couldn't they wait one additional day?

I shudder imagining the ostentatiously pretentious programs and music Cizeron will grace us with next season.

It seems they had interviews and events lined up. Travel plans as well, they are in France - it doesn't seem as if it was a spur of the moment thing, but an orchestrated PR announcement that surely wasn't planned in the week before. They are skating for a European country. If anything, it seems they waited for Jr Worlds to finish in order not to steal any spotlights there.

US synchro nationals took place over the weekend as well. Was that tasteless? There were hundreds of screaming and excited fans in an arena much closer to Boston than France is, attending an event organized by US Figure Skating.

No, I do not think synchro nationals should have been canceled or rescheduled just like I don't see FB/C's timing as a huge transgression. Figure skating fandom will always find something to be outraged about and looking at Twitter, maybe it's good they announced before because the outrage over their pairing and timing was soon overshadowed by a new one - many people had thoughts about Ilia's choice of music for LOI. Goes to show how futile it is to even try and please everyone.

 

[TallyT]

How tasteless for them to announce this the day of Legacy of Ice. Couldn't they wait one additional day?

Oh no, plenty of people make announcements at times that are equally important and meaningful, even tragic, in other countries. I am not minimising or belittling the disaster, the tragedy, and its central place in the world of skating, especially US skating... but life in other countries does go on, and skaters and skating fans in other countries have other priorities as well.