Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron golden in European debut
2026 European Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance
France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron took the gold in Ice Dance in their European debut together as a team in Sheffield, Great Britain. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain secured the silver, while Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy claimed the bronze.
The event proved to be an exciting one as the top five ice dancers were separated by just mere points after the rhythm dance.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron delivered a bold and stylish rhythm dance to Madonna’s “Vogue.” The team was confident, showing attention to detail in every movement, but the choreographic element received a “!.” Nevertheless, the twizzles and rotational lift were graded a level four, while the midline steps were a two and three. The pattern steps were also a three, and they earned high grades of execution (GOE) in all elements, placing third in this segment with 86.93 points.
“I feel like every time there’s a new experience,” said Fournier Beaudry. “And it has been a few years since I had been to Europe. I think our focus today was just to get in our bubble and enjoy your moment together, and we succeeded doing that. So, we’re very happy.”
“We had really a lot of fun during our performance which is what we are always looking for,” she added. “We are very happy with what we delivered today. We could not wait to come here for our first Europeans together. We’ve made several changes to our short program, and we wanted to show them for the first time in front of an audience. The score is a bit lower than at our last international competition. This exclamation mark costs a lot of points. There are some details we’ll fix before the next competition and we’re very confident that this won’t happen again.”
“It is probably a little technical detail, but it lowers the score,” noted Cizeron.
“I think specifically today we’ve had some changes that we wanted to try out,” he added of their performance. “We haven’t had so much practice on it, so that was important for us to try out.”
The 2025-26 Grand Prix Final silver medalists gave a compelling free dance to music from The Whale, earning a new personal best score of 135.50. Their routine featured strong level-four twizzles, lifts and dance spin. The one-foot work was graded a level two and three, while the serpentine steps were a two and three. With a total score of 222.43, they won the event with 12 points to spare.
“It felt really incredible!” said Cizeron. “The crowd was amazing! It was such a warm event; I was not expecting to have such a warm welcome, but it was amazing and we couldn’t be happier with the performance.”
Cizeron shared that he had been saving this music for a while.
“I was in tears whenever I watched Stéphane (Lambiel) skate to it and I was like, ‘I have to skate to this one day.’ And then the opportunity came around. And together, we just all we found a way to make it a competitive program, finding other pieces in the album that could fill it up. When I introduced the music to Laurence, I was really hoping that she would love it as much as I did. And she did. In 10 days, it was kind of a puzzle to put together. It was very interesting to kind of try and build that program.”
“At the very beginning of our partnership, we went to Switzerland to Stéphane and just played around with him,” added Fournier Beaudry. “It was just a very nice exploration to discover each other at the same time and discover each other on that music too. So, it’s really something that’s very close to our heart. Then when we came back to Montreal and we were able to put all that together with Marie- France (Dubreuil) during the World championships. It just came to life, and we really loved that program.”
Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri
Guignard and Fabbri were entertained the crowd with their fun rhythm dance set to music by The Backstreet Boys. The twizzles and straightline lift received a level four, while the midline and pattern steps garnered a level three. The two-time World medalists earned positive GOES throughout and placed third with a new season’s best score of 84.48.
“It was not super easy to skate after Lilah and Lewis,” admitted Fabbri. “Of course, because you feel that after the couple representing Britain the atmosphere went down a little bit because the crowd was really into their performance so it’s normal. We have lived the same feeling when we competed in Italy, so its normal so it’s not super easy. But then we tried to stay focused on our performance, and I think we delivered a very energetic program, so we are satisfied with what we did.”
Skating to music from Diamanti, the three time and current European champions gave an elegant free dance, placing second with a season’s best of 125.86 in this segment. Their sophisticated routine featured level-four twizzles, lifts, and dance spin. The one-foot steps received a level two, while the circular steps were graded a three and two. With a total score of 210.34, the team moved up one spot to second place overall.
“It all together was an absurd event,” said Fabbri. “We were really calm during these European championships. Then I had some issues with the straps and suddenly all of those calm feelings disappeared. When we heard our music, we were feeling quite the opposite, but we are very happy to take home a silver medal that feels to us like a golden one.”
Fabbri admitted that the beginning of the season was not a good one for them and that they were “quite disappointed.”
“Of course, we knew that we started the season a little later, so we knew that we were not in perfect shape at the beginning of the season,” he pointed out. “But still, getting certain scores hurt a little bit. I have to be honest. Because it felt like, ‘okay, we cannot skate anymore.’ So, getting back from that and going home now with these performances, we’re really proud.”
“Tonight, I was really proud of Marco after what happened in the warmup,” said Guignard. “I am really proud of him.”
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson
Fear and Gibson showed swag in their lively rhythm dance to a Spice Girls medley, earning a season’s best of 85.47 for second place. The midline steps were graded a level three, while they received a level four on the twizzles, pattern steps and rotational lift. The crowd was engaged throughout, and the 2025 World bronze medalists also picked up high GOEs across the board.
“Finally, I’m wearing this dress in the right place!” said Fear of her “Union Jack” costume. “It was so meaningful today for us, seeing all those flags in the stands.”
The team felt the performance went exactly as planned, and that it even exceeded expectations “noise-wise.”
“The crowd was amazing, so much warmth from the people!” said Fear. “I felt all the time that we were all on the same page, that we all wanted the same thing. I loved it so much.”
It was noted that Fear and Gibson earned a slightly higher technical score than the Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron.
“We are so used to training with them because we train with the best teams in the world,” said Fear. “They are just training mates and top competitors, so it’s just like in training—they skate and then we skate, so it feels the same here. We are all super unique in our own ways. We have strengths within this sport that others don’t and vice versa. On beating them technically, I mean, it’s cool, but this is not what we are looking for. We are not looking below or above. We are competing for ourselves and seeing what the outcome is.”
The two-time European silver medalists gave a nostalgic Scottish-themed free dance to “The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” and “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” They were off to a great start, earning mostly 5+ GOEs across the board with their stationary-rotational lift. Then Fear stepped out of the second set of twizzles which were graded a level three and four. The midline steps received a level three and two while the one-foot steps were graded a two and three. The curve lift and dance spin were graded a level four, and except for the twizzles, the team received many high GOEs throughout. They placed third in the free dance and overall (124.04 / 209.51).
“Today was not ideal, definitely not what we planned,” said Fear. “So of course we’re really frustrated about that. But I’m extremely proud of how we came back after the mistake. And we did want to enjoy the rest of it, so we really made sure to flip that switch and take in the amazing opportunity of skating with the whole crowd.”
“Just the clapping, and obviously, after the error, they (the crowd) were right behind us,” Gibson added. “The response after our performance was great!”
Going into the Olympics, Fear said they are “fired up.”
“We know what we’re capable of,” she said. “So, when it doesn’t go to plan on the day, we’re like, ‘let’s get to work and let’s make this all that is possible.’ So, we’re ready!”
Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud
France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud placed fifth with a new season’s best of 82.38 for their rhythm dance to music by Eiffel 65 and Daft Punk. Both the twizzles and stationary lift were graded a level four, and the 2025 European silver medalists earned positive GOEs throughout.
“We are super proud of what we did,” said Brissaud. “We come with a huge stress today and we wanted to show what we worked on. We know what we need to do, but sometimes in the competition you have to figure how to control the stress and today we managed.”
“Every competition is a certain stress,” added Lopareva. “Every competition is different, the judges, the crowd, you worked so hard and you want to come and show how hard you worked. It’s stressful when you want to do your best and it’s important not to be overexcited and show what you can.”
The 2025 Cup of China bronze medalists put out a sophisticated free dance to music by Björk and Clann, earning a season’s best of 122.34 for fourth place. They earned a level four on the twizzles, lifts and spin, while the one-foot steps were graded a level three. The midlines steps received a level three and two. With a total score of 204.72, they moved up on spot to fourth overall.
“Today was great!” said Lopareva.
“Apparently something happened to Marco during the warmup, and they were blowing the whistle because there was a hole in the ice,” she explained, regarding the sudden stop of their music. “I don’t know how they saw it. Someone pointed and I found it somehow. We were stopped and shown where it was. We didn’t even know whether the whistle was from the fan or the judges; we’ve never been in such the situation. It didn’t throw me off, I felt even more dedicated if anything.”
Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius
Lithuanians Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius were relaxed, yet sharp, in their spirited rhythm dance to “I’m Too Sexy” and “Cantaloop.” Their routine was highlighted by level-four twizzles and rotational lift, and they were awarded with many positive GOEs throughout. The 2024 European bronze medalists finished fourth in this segment with a new personal best of 83.08.
“We were pretty happy all season to be breaking 80, and now to get into higher numbers, that was always the goal,” said Reed. “To do that today, it feels really, really good!”
“In April, we felt like we really need to tune in,” she added of their preparation. “I think that early preparation really helped us settle ourselves into the start of the season. And then momentum is a wonderful thing. It’s really, really bolstered us and pushed us throughout all of our competitions. The Grand Prix final was really a cherry on the top of this amazing cake. We’ve been achieving those little victories and creating little goals that we’ve managed to achieve have really helped us ‘survive’ as well.”
The five-time Grand Prix medalists delivered a sophisticated and club-infused routine to “God is a DJ” and ” We Come 1″ by Faithless. However, Ambrulevicius had a slight bobble during the one-foot steps which were downgraded to a level two and one. The midline steps were graded a level two, but all three lifts and the twizzles received a level four. They placed seventh in the free dance with 117.21 points, and slipped to fifth overall (200.29).
“Today was a little bit tougher,” admitted Reed. “There were some mistakes here and there. I think it was just one of those days, but we really pushed through and we stayed together as a team. So I’m really proud of us for enjoying the last bit of the program, even though there were some little missteps here and there. We kept going and kept enjoying it, and the crowd was really behind us. So that was very, very motivational. We are very grateful for that.”
Now the team is looking forward to competing at the Olympics.
“Even though today was a struggle, I can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face because I know where we’re going,” said Reed. “I know where we’re headed, and I know that we need to put in the work and we will be ready. I have zero doubt. I’m just very, very excited. I think we are both very excited.”
“I am just excited about the whole experience” added Ambrulevicius. “It’s something I haven’t experienced yet. I think just overall, not just the skating, but the event as a total, is going to be special. The whole environment with the other athletes from so many different sports, different countries. It’s so amazing to meet all these different people who train just as hard as we do, just doing completely different things. And to come all together in one month in one event and be able to live our dream is really, really special. I cannot wait to experience this and experience this together, and we are really looking forward.”
Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin
Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin of Georgia placed sixth in the rhythm dance with 78.67 points. Their routine to music by The Offspring was highlighted by level three footwork and a level-four rotational lift, but the twizzles were only graded a level two.
“I think our coach is satisfied, and we should be satisfied,” said Smolkin. “We lost a couple of levels on the twizzles, so that didn’t give us an opportunity to get to the 80s. But overall, I think it was good. I think we’ve improved since we last competed in Finland, and the crowd was amazing!”
The seven-time Challenger series medalist produced a refined free dance to “Sonata for Cello & Piano No.1 in D Major” and “A Taste of Elegance,” placing sixth (120.64) in this segment. Their routine was highlighted by level-four twizzles and two level-four lifts. They maintained sixth place overall with 199.31 points.
“I think we’ve achieved our goals for this competition,” said Smolkin. “We can do better, but our coaches are very pleased with both programs. It’s by far the best of the season so far. There were little adjustments we’ve made, and I feel like they’re working. We’re looking forward to the next one, which will be the Olympic Games.”
After congratulating the Georgian team, as well as pointing out Anastasiia Gubanova’s free skate, Smolkin said he felt they have a strong team going into the Olympics.
“We’re quite a young team, we’re also looking ahead,” he added. “It’s going to be very exciting. Even though we are competing in Italy, I think we can make some trouble. So we are very excited for the team event, but also in the same way, we’re excited for the individual event.”
Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck
Spain’s Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck put out a rollicking rhythm dance to “Freedom” and “Let Me Entertain You,” displaying crisp and sharp movements throughout. However, they lost a level on the twizzles which were graded a three. The pattern and midline steps were also only graded a level two, but they earned a level four on the curve lift which received high GOEs. They also received a “!” on the choreographic element. They placed 10th in this segment with 75.17 points.
“I think it was my little stumble right at the very beginning of the element,” explained Dieck of the exclamation point on the choreographic element.
“This score wasn’t what we hoped for,” said Smart. “We definitely want to push more towards the 80s and compete with the top teams. For the rest of the season, we just want to continue improving both programs and pushing ourselves in the right ways.”
The 2024 Skate America bronze medalists placed fifth with a new season’s best of 121.27 in the free dance with their exquisite and cinematic routine to the Dune: Part Two soundtrack. The team impressed with their level-four lifts, spin and twizzles. With a total score of 196.44, they rose to seventh place overall.
“Well, I’d say we come from a little bit different stage than last year because yesterday was a really tough day for both of us,” said Smart. “Especially after seeing the performance. We sat down in the evening and watched the performance, and the feeling we had after the performance didn’t match the feeling that we had after the score, because the scores for us were not reflecting what the performance was.”
“Unfortunately, yesterday’s feelings, the sadness and the anger, took away from the joy that we had,” she added. “I was so angry last night. We were sitting together and we were looking at each other in the eyes and cried for ages. We felt so defeated. At one point, we were like, ‘I don’t want to do tomorrow.’ We don’t want to be known as a free dance team. We want to be up there in the rhythm dance and up there in the free. And yesterday that could have been possible. We could have been closer to the 80s. We want to be in the last groups and fight for the medals because we think this is what we can do.”
Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis of Finland placed eighth overall (193.83), followed by France’s Loicia Demougeot and Theo le Mercier (191.62).
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