Winter Olympics 2026: Ice dance battle heats up as Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Guillaume Cizeron top rhythm segment
It was expected to be a heated fight between the USA and French ice dancers at the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026, and the rhythm dance lived up to all expectations. Skating together for the first time this season, France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron extended their dream return to the Olympic stage, shocking three-time world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates with a remarkable 0.46-point lead.
Iconic hits from the ’90s rocked the Milano Ice Skating Arena as the world’s best teams all set new personal and season best scores, capturing the audience’s attention. Skating sixth out of 23 teams, Beijing 2022 champion Cizeron and his new partner Fournier Beaudry set a high bar with 90.18 points, which remained unchallenged throughout the night.
The French duo, clearly in peak form, earned their season’s personal best during the team event and further improved it by 0.2 points in this individual competition. They showcased exceptional twizzles, rotation lifts, and upgraded their dance step sequence to level four, while their midline step sequence received a level three rating.
“We’ve been working hard all season to surpass 90, and seeing that score was gratifying,” Fournier Beaudry said. The crowd’s energy played a crucial role, as cheers from French ice hockey players added to the electric atmosphere. Cizeron remarked, “The public’s enthusiasm threw us off a bit, but we adjusted thanks to our team event experience.”
Returning less than 24 hours after their gold medal win, Chock and Bates performed strong but fell just short, scoring 89.72. Chock rated their skate a perfect 10, having fun and delivering one of their best performances all season. In a high-stakes free dance set for Wednesday, with less than half a point separating the teams, the intensity is bound to escalate.
Other noteworthy contenders included Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier in third with 86.18 points and Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson scoring 85.47, both aiming to land on the Olympic podium. Additionally, with surprise performances from the USA’s Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik earning them sixth place, anticipation runs high for the upcoming showdown.
