“If the French judging panel is strong, then Cizeron has a chance if they skate well. She does have potential – she’s more expressive, more emotional than Papadakis but she needs to lose weight.” Marina Anissina on Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron
Marina Anissina assesses Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron’s prospects for the Olympic season
original source: Katok show
Olympic ice dance champion Marina Anissina shared her thoughts on the new French ice dance pair, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, reflecting on their potential, strengths, and areas for improvement as they prepare for the upcoming season during her appearance on the show Katok.Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Personally, I liked their free dance. I made a point to watch it. But I absolutely didn’t like their rhythm dance. That being said, there’s something about this pair. Of course, they’ll constantly be compared to Gabriella [Papadakis], and parallels will be drawn, but this girl is different,” Anissina remarked.
“In my opinion, she needs to lose about 10 kilograms. Alexei [Yagudin] would probably argue that it’s unimportant, but I think it matters because she is on the heavier side. That weight shows on the ice. However, she does have potential – she’s more expressive, more emotional. Gabriella had a more cold, linear style, while this new skater has a depth that can be brought out. Still, for me, those 10 kilograms are crucial.”
When asked if anything could be developed in this pair to secure Olympic gold this season, Anissina replied, “If she gets into better shape, they have a decent chance. She skates well and her glide is solid. They’ve worked hard together, considering that they haven’t been skating as a pair for very long. You know how challenging it is to perfect a new partnership.”
She continued: “With Gabriella, Guillaume skated for about 20 years. That’s when partners are so in sync that they don’t even need to talk – a small gesture and they understand each other perfectly. This pair lacks that experience, especially her. And who knows what situations they’ll encounter along the way?”
Clarifying her comment on weight, Anissina explained: “She doesn’t necessarily have excess fat. She’s muscular, but she’s big, and that adds volume and heaviness. It affects perception on the ice because there’s a lack of lightness. When I watched them, it immediately stood out to me as something that was holding her back, particularly in the short program.”
When asked if she had ever received similar feedback during her own career, Anissina responded: “Yes, I’ve been told that my entire life. I’ve always been on a diet, always told to lose weight. As long as I can remember, it was consistent advice.”
Anissina noted that contemporary athletes might perceive such comments as invasive or crossing personal boundaries: “Even athletes today, despite knowing this feedback is professional, often see it as a personal intrusion. But in the ’90s and 2000s, we had clear standards. We were weighed every day. I remember Natalia Vladimirovna Linichuk telling us if we didn’t weigh 500 grams less by the next day, we’d have to run laps and wouldn’t be allowed to train on the ice. Angela Krylova and I ran plenty of laps because of this.”
Despite this, Anissina believes Fournier Beaudry has time to address these concerns: “She still has a chance. If she works on her weight, she’ll gain lightness and make it easier to accelerate on the ice. Guillaume is fine and keeps pace, but she needs to bring that same lightness. However, she is livelier than Gabriella – more feminine, more emotional. Gabriella’s style was less expressive, while this skater has that added emotional quality as a strength.”
When asked if Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron could win gold now, Anissina said: “It depends on many factors. The Americans and Canadians are more experienced. I don’t know. If the French judging panel is strong, then Cizeron has a chance if they skate well. But if she doesn’t lose weight, I’m not sure. It’s very noticeable. She’s good, but she needs to get it together. I know it’s hard, but it’s necessary.”
Related topics: Guillaume Cizeron, Laurence Fournier Beaudry, Marina Anissina
Laurence is already a professional athlete in amazing shape with very low body fat. 10kg is about 20lbs, if she’s losing that, it is coming from muscle mass, which would be extremely damaging to her skating and her health. Losing that much weight when you’re already a tiny skater is sacrificing athletic ability just to appear a little “lighter” and would certainly not result in higher scoring. Maybe Marina should update her beauty standards from 35 years ago.
So…Laurence doesn’t have excess fat, but she needs to lose 10kg? 10kg of what? Muscle mass? With 10kg less, She’d be malnourished.
Guillaume seems to be lifting her just fine.
Sorry Marina, loved you as an ice dancer but this take is not it.