Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry: “2026 Olympics? It’s really part of the goals we’ve set. I think there would be disappointment if we didn’t go. It’s a risk we’re ready to take.”
Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry about skating together.
original source: Eurosport France dd. March 3d 2025 by Anna Boyer
In an interview with Eurosport, Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry discussed the project of skating together. Here’s a translation.
“Q: How did you come up with the idea to skate together, and whose idea was it?
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: It was Guillaume’s proposal.
Guillaume Cizeron: Yes, it was my idea. It was a bit of a crazy idea. I think for a long time, I held back from talking to her about it. I told myself, “Well, it’s probably not a good idea, but still.” Then one evening, I brought up the idea to see, to test the waters and see if she might be interested. After that, she took some time to think it over.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: I was certainly very flattered to have this proposal from the current Olympic champion and my best friend. So we committed wholeheartedly to this wonderful adventure.
Q: Laurence, you were in a somewhat peculiar situation since you had “lost” your partner who could no longer skate (her former partner Nikolaj Sorensen was indefinitely suspended by the Canadian Sport Integrity Commissioner for sexual misconduct, ed.). Had you already considered finding someone else?
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: I was reflecting on my career, seeing if I wanted to continue skating. It’s certain that at our level, finding a new partner is complicated. It’s a new investment, a new discovery, a new project. I had thought that maybe I could do shows with Guillaume, that I could talk to him about it someday. But he took me by surprise when he talked about returning to competition with me. It was a beautiful surprise that led me to think a lot and to take the leap.
Q: Guillaume, what made you want to return to competition? Because the announcement of your retirement with Gabriella Papadakis was only in December.
Guillaume Cizeron: The fact of having been on the other side, having coached, having choreographed a lot. I had a taste of post-career, really. I think sometimes while coaching, I felt like I was not on the right side of the boards. I still had things to give on the ice. I had not necessarily considered returning to competition. But when this door opened with Laurence (the suspension of her partner, ed.), I saw the opportunity for a certain evolution, a second chapter. It’s a bit of a bonus for us because our respective careers have already been very successful. We had a lot of success, each with our former partners. Now, it’s really for the pure pleasure of skating and having ambition.
Q: When did you start working together?
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: We started our real partnership on the ice in mid-January. We are really getting to know each other.
Q: Is it easy to translate companionship in life, a long friendship, to companionship on the ice?
Guillaume Cizeron: I think we have the advantage of being very connected off the ice. This will allow us to work well and to also enjoy a lot of pleasure. But it’s certain that we’re not getting back together just because we’re friends. We have a lot of similarities in our way of skating. Laurence is really an incredible skater. Everything aligned to make this the perfect choice for us at this point in our lives.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: I think we’re discovering on the ice that we’re very versatile. We appreciate it, we’re very curious to see how the other does things. I don’t want to say that it takes us out of our element, but it makes us work on different aspects and challenges us a bit. But it’s the challenge that drives us, that pushes us to have this flame to become better.
Q: What do you admire most in each other?
Guillaume Cizeron: I would say her perseverance. Her great ambition and her real commitment to working to make it happen no matter what. (Addressing Laurence) That’s pretty good, right? Your turn!
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: I greatly admire Guillaume’s artistic side in everything. He is really very perfectionistic. He always wants to push the bar a little further and ensure that everything he creates is quite unique. I am really happy to be partnering with this person, this beautiful soul.
Q: What did your coaches think of this idea of working together, knowing that they had previously trained you with your former partners? Was it a challenge for them too?
Guillaume Cizeron: Yes, 100%! It’s true that it’s not a common situation. I think it’s quite unprecedented to arrive at this stage of our careers and make this kind of choice. It’s very courageous on our part, a bit crazy! I talked to Romain Haguenauer and even to the Federation before even talking to Laurence.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: Everyone knew before me actually! (laughs)
Guillaume Cizeron: Before looking like a madman in front of you, I wanted to confirm that I wasn’t mad. I am a bit, but I think everyone saw the potential there was in this new partnership. It’s part of the sport to take bets. I think we’re coming back for the right reasons. We’ve communicated it to everyone around us, the people who accompany us, who support us. I think everyone is getting on board together in this project that is really a pure sporting challenge, given the limited time we have and the work that is necessary to get to the level where we want to get. It takes work, but so far, we’ve been moving quite quickly in developing this project.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: We really feel like we have an artistic collaboration with the coaches. It’s a very beautiful exchange. It’s a project that will take us all a bit higher. We’re coming back for the love of the sport. We’re bringing our families, our friends, the federation along with us, which is very touching.
Q: There is a big challenge ahead with the Milan Olympics in a year. It will come quickly. Is that your main goal?
Guillaume Cizeron: It’s really part of the goals we’ve set. I think there would be disappointment if we didn’t go. It’s a risk we’re ready to take. We’re aware that it’s very ambitious. We’re diving a bit into the unknown because there’s a large unpredictable component. We both know we’re good skaters, that we have the potential to make it, but we don’t know exactly what will happen. As Laurence said, that’s also what drives us at this stage of our careers. We needed a big challenge to really want to come back.
Q: You’re going to represent France at national and international competitions. To go to the Olympics, you need a French passport, Laurence. Is that also the challenge?
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: Yes, it’s a challenge, and it’s underway. I have family in France, I already have a deep attachment to the country. Quebec and France are very close. I have family on my grandfather’s side who live here, I have cousins. It’s a unique opportunity. It’s also an honor to represent a country with which I have family ties.
Guillaume Cizeron: Your grandfather was very happy!
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: I shouldn’t say this, but my grandfather cried with joy when I told him. He’s looking forward to coming to see me in competition with my grandmother. We’re crossing our fingers, we’ll do our season and see how it goes.
Q: So, what is the competition schedule in the coming months?
Guillaume Cizeron: We’ll have a first deadline by the end of August, in principle. The season starts in September-October, and then it continues until the Olympics and the World Championships in 2026. It’s about a competition every two weeks.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: Yes, once it starts, there will be no break.
Q: Are you currently working on the programs for next season?
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: Yes, we’re in the creative phase, and it’s going well.
Guillaume Cizeron: We have a blank slate. We’re trying to discover our colors, to bring things in. The idea is not to reproduce what we did with our respective partners and to create something that will be our own. I think we’ll discover ourselves at the same time as the public will discover us.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry: We’ve seen a lot of each other from the outside, given that we’ve been training together for over ten years, which gives us a different perspective. We have high ambitions for each other and a beautiful vision for the future.”
Related topics: Gabriella Papadakis Guillaume Cizeron, Laurence Fournier Beaudry Nikolaj Sorensen
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