2025 Grand Prix de France Free Dance

[Andrina]

Here is my take:

Olympic podium - FBC, C/B and G/P.

Team event: USA (C/B + Shibs), Japan, and Italy (G/F).

Everyone is happy, everyone gets a medal.

Brits are too young, they have at least two Games in front of them, they will get their medals.

And none will let IAM have all three teams on the podium. So G/P will get a medal, no matter what.

 

[lariko]

I am catching up on FD. Beaudry/Cizeron are far more convincing in a more traditional dancing style for me, and I made a note to make sure I catch them live next GP season if they compete after Olympics. I always liked the Italians not the Brits, and I don't know much about dance rules, so I am just annoyed that the dance establishment dropped the Italians. I mean, we are all savvy enough to know someone has to be dropped to create space for the 3 teams with a push added in the last 2 seasons. I am also becoming R/A fan, hopefully not too late!

 

[AquaSeas]

I personally thought FB/C were absolutely fantastic. I was mesmerized from beginning to end. I could care less about former partners or anything that happens off-ice. What I saw on-ice was far beyond what the other teams offered. F/G skated well and their Scottish program and costumes will be a massive hit at Euros in Sheffield. R/A and D/S showed some big improvements and they and G/F could have placed in any order and I would have accepted it. All I ask of my skaters is that they entertain me and all the teams in Angers did just that. I have broad shoulders and flame resistant undies so have at me!

 

[4everchan]

Nah. I think it's Piper and Paul on the bubble. I didn't think it was possible, but I can imagine it easily now.

The judges aren't going to put one and a half Canadian teams on the Olympic podium.

Oh please... your maths are wrong... the two Canadians here are Paul and Laurence that's only 1 Canadian team on that podium but I am sure the judges would be okay making a 1.5 American team on the Olympic podium with Piper being American . BTW : I love Piper and Paul and they are perfectly suited for one another but I wonder what would Lolo and Paul would have produced together. To me, that's the real dream team

To keep going :

Charlène is French
Piper is American (just a reminder)
Lilah is Canado-American

Should we keep going ?

Alison is American
Cristina is Canadian
Lopareva is Russian
Smart-Dieck are neither Spanish

So what will the judges do with that if they really are caring about flags ?

I mean, they could also think that giving all the medals to IAM teams = a Canadian podium sweep. I can see Marie-France writing a funding grant for IAM to Sports Canada saying that they earned all the ice dance medals in 2026 and will do so again, in 2030 - pending on funding raises.

Let's see how it goes but my hunch is that the podium favourites (and winners, granted they all skate well) will be FBC, CB and Piper and Paul. Tough luck for the others.

 

[4everchan]

Here is my take:

Olympic podium - FBC, C/B and G/P.

I agree

Team event: USA (C/B + Shibs), Japan, and Italy (G/F).

I agree but I am not sure about the Shibs.

Everyone is happy, everyone gets a medal.

Someone is definitely not happy here.

Brits are too young, they have at least two Games in front of them, they will get their medals.

Lewis is already 31, so he is older than Guillaume. That's not too young and I am not sure it's two more games really.

And none will let IAM have all three teams on the podium. So G/P will get a medal, no matter what.

I need that medal for GP. That's all I ask the skating gods this year. ( I'm ready to even sacrifice the team event medal and Deanna and Max for that Piper and Paul medal)

 

[rain]

I need that medal for GP. That's all I ask the skating gods this year. ( I'm ready to even sacrifice the team event medal and Deanna and Max for that Piper and Paul medal)

I wouldn't go that far, lol (sacrificing Deanna and Max), but I, too, want to see Piper and Paul medal. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the RuPaul RD is going to be good. I think Piper and Paul have been denied rightful golds pretty egregiously a couple of times, so definitely rooting for them to get the recognition they deserve.

More on topic...I thought Fournier-Beaudry/Cizeron's RD was better here than at French Masters, but still takes a long time to get going and is somehow kind of drab in the music cuts? I still think they should have chosen anything but voguing, which invites too many comparisons with the far superior waacking program Cizeron did previously. I thought the FD was better than at French Masters as well, and there are some beautiful moments in it, but overall I found myself still checking out of it in places and having to bring my attention back. It's lovely, but not special, if that makes sense. At least not yet.

 

[4everchan]

I wouldn't go that far, lol (sacrificing Deanna and Max), but I, too, want to see Piper and Paul medal. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the RuPaul RD is going to be good. I think Piper and Paul have been denied rightful golds pretty egregiously a couple of times, so definitely rooting for them to get the recognition they deserve.

More on topic...I thought Fournier-Beaudry/Cizeron's RD was better here than at French Masters, but still takes a long time to get going and is somehow kind of drab in the music cuts? I still think they should have chosen anything but voguing, which invites too many comparisons with the far superior waacking program Cizeron did previously. I thought the FD was better than at French Masters as well, and there are some beautiful moments in it, but overall I found myself still checking out of it in places and having to bring my attention back. It's lovely, but not special, if that makes sense. At least not yet.

trust me, it was very hard for me to do that sacrifice since I am very into Max LOL

 

[NanaPat]

I don't want to derail this thread but why FB/C are clearly disliked here? Has Guillaume made some cocky statements in off-season or sth? Or do people not like returning olympic champions coming from a retirement? You can send me a link or something.

You've already had some answers. But let me sum it up:

People who didn't like P/C don't like F-B/C because they have tried to make Laurence into an imitation of Gaby.

People who liked P/C don't like F-B/C because Laurence isn't Gaby.

With a side order of feelings about Sorensen.

 

[4everchan]

You've already had some answers. But let me sum it up:

People who didn't like P/C don't like F-B/C because they have tried to make Laurence into an imitation of Gaby.

People who liked P/C don't like F-B/C because Laurence isn't Gaby.

With a side order of feelings about Sorensen.

You forgot the fans who don't approve giving them all the points already, as if the fix was on already. Now these fans may also like FBC or not but just hate fixing

 

[Blackmirage]

Watching Ice Dance since Pakhomova /Gorskov, experiencing the ups and downs of the discipline.
I can totally understand the reception of the French team by the judges after the continuing underwhelming status of ice dance in the lst 3 years.
Honestly, none of the teams competed in the last 3 years (besides being good in many different areas) can be mentioned as a memorable one really worthy possible Olympic Champion. The situation is similar, than of 2010, when Domnina/Shabalin won the pre-olympic Worldchampionship,, Belbin/Agosto being 2nd after Delobel got pregnant and went out of chance.
The presence of Virtue/Moir "solved" the situation and created the memorable, worthy champions.
The ice dance needs Beaudry-F/Cizeron more than they need to compete.

 

[jersey1302]

So regarding Charlene and Marco.. I know the internet is going wild on twitter … I’ll give my option on the dance.. plz follow my youtube.. the FreeSkate too for video on this…

So Charlene and Marco had a music violation. In the rd. It’s my guess that it cost them 3 point. They had a tempo violation. That will have to be sorted.. NOW my opinion of their dances. I thought they looked stiff and hesitant and slow most of the time. This is their first event.. I don’t think their scores will be this low all year. I think 4th was the correct placement for them.

LFB/GC I think had a very lack luster rd.. is was slow..laboured and he had a deduction for a fall. I think it was over scored imo. Their fd was phenomenal..was it 133? Not in my opinion I think 128 would have been appropriate. It was still a bit slow in places..their step was not as intricate as I’d like to see from a team who scored 133..but yes. It deserved to win.
That segment. I do think Lilah and Lewis deserved the gold overall. Are they the best skaters? No.. did they get slightly Overscored for skating skills in the 9s. Yes. But that’s a difference of half a point over scored imo. So not a huge deal. I’m very happy for Allison and Salius. I think they were scored good in this event.

 

[Demandred]

I really like both Guillaume and Laurence, and they skated really well here, but their score here shows how absurd the judging in Ice Dance is currently. They got 58.02 in PCS out of maximum 60, that's bananas, they had 4 tens from individual judges in the component scores. Two of the judges didn't give them a GOE below 4 on any of their elements. Can anyone really say this was one of the best skates of all time as the score suggests? They have been together for only several months, they are fantastic individual skaters, but they are still getting used to each other plus it's early in the season. I guess in 3 months once they have gelled more they should be given 10.5 out of 10 in each component and 4+ GOE on every element.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Marco and Charlene's skate, it was lovely and fitted their qualities very well, the judges apparently disagree. Hopefully they will keep improving and prove the judges wrong.

 

[TontoK]

Anyway, I really enjoyed Marco and Charlene's skate, it was lovely and fitted their qualities very well, the judges apparently disagree. Hopefully they will keep improving and prove the judges wrong.

I've never been the biggest fan of the Italians, but even I'm shocked at the brutality in which they were dumped. Losing in the RD to a newly manufactured team with a fall on a major element? It's a long season, so I hope they can fix whatever went wrong and mount a comeback.

 

[Weathergal]

Watching Ice Dance since Pakhomova /Gorskov, experiencing the ups and downs of the discipline.
I can totally understand the reception of the French team by the judges after the continuing underwhelming status of ice dance in the lst 3 years.
Honestly, none of the teams competed in the last 3 years (besides being good in many different areas) can be mentioned as a memorable one really worthy possible Olympic Champion. The situation is similar, than of 2010, when Domnina/Shabalin won the pre-olympic Worldchampionship,, Belbin/Agosto being 2nd after Delobel got pregnant and went out of chance.
The presence of Virtue/Moir "solved" the situation and created the memorable, worthy champions.
The ice dance needs Beaudry-F/Cizeron more than they need to compete.

Welcome to Golden Skate! As we say here, post long and post often!

 

[bramweld]

You've already had some answers. But let me sum it up:

People who didn't like P/C don't like F-B/C because they have tried to make Laurence into an imitation of Gaby.

People who liked P/C don't like F-B/C because Laurence isn't Gaby.

With a side order of feelings about Sorensen.

So wait, what about the people who like P/C and FB/C? I need representation here. Am I a minority?

 

[Andrina]

So wait, what about the people who like P/C and FB/C? I need representation here. Am I a minority?

I am here, sis.

We'll throw a big party in February.

 

[4everchan]

Just for the records : I like FBC too . I just think the judges were crazy

 

[4everchan]

Watching Ice Dance since Pakhomova /Gorskov, experiencing the ups and downs of the discipline.
I can totally understand the reception of the French team by the judges after the continuing underwhelming status of ice dance in the lst 3 years.
Honestly, none of the teams competed in the last 3 years (besides being good in many different areas) can be mentioned as a memorable one really worthy possible Olympic Champion. The situation is similar, than of 2010, when Domnina/Shabalin won the pre-olympic Worldchampionship,, Belbin/Agosto being 2nd after Delobel got pregnant and went out of chance.
The presence of Virtue/Moir "solved" the situation and created the memorable, worthy champions.
The ice dance needs Beaudry-F/Cizeron more than they need to compete.

That's not a bad analysis at all. It's true that the ice dance field was missing a star team for the last few years. I'd say that Piper and Paul were by far the best for me, especially their Wuthering Heights program but the judges didn't want them to be those stars. Chock and Bates are good but not on the level of Davis/White, Virtue/Moir or Papadakis/Cizeron. That's all fine but come on... giving them 10s right away is a bit much. The Free Dance was not perfect.

 

[4everchan]

So regarding Charlene and Marco.. I know the internet is going wild on twitter … I’ll give my option on the dance.. plz follow my youtube.. the FreeSkate too for video on this…

So Charlene and Marco had a music violation. In the rd. It’s my guess that it cost them 3 point. They had a tempo violation. That will have to be sorted.. NOW my opinion of their dances. I thought they looked stiff and hesitant and slow most of the time. This is their first event.. I don’t think their scores will be this low all year. I think 4th was the correct placement for them.

LFB/GC I think had a very lack luster rd.. is was slow..laboured and he had a deduction for a fall. I think it was over scored imo. Their fd was phenomenal..was it 133? Not in my opinion I think 128 would have been appropriate. It was still a bit slow in places..their step was not as intricate as I’d like to see from a team who scored 133..but yes. It deserved to win.
That segment. I do think Lilah and Lewis deserved the gold overall. Are they the best skaters? No.. did they get slightly Overscored for skating skills in the 9s. Yes. But that’s a difference of half a point over scored imo. So not a huge deal. I’m very happy for Allison and Salius. I think they were scored good in this event.

3 judges flagged the music for violation but there was no deduction for the Italians.

 

[NanaPat]

So wait, what about the people who like P/C and FB/C? I need representation here. Am I a minority?

I'm afraid so.

I didn't mean to say you didn't exist, just answer the question "why FB/C are clearly disliked here".

You could answer @Ares post and say "not me"! You could even make the case that people who don't dislike F-B/C are not as small a minority as you might think, just not as vocal as "the other side".