Guillaume Cizeron: “I see that there are some strange games going on that are destroying ice dance. We all try to come up with something unique and new, and instead of being supported, we’re forced to spend huge amounts of time on silly rules.”
Guillaume Cizeron Spoke Out About Strange Judging at the Finland Grand Prix
original source: Sports by Maya Bagriantseva
Olympic champion Guillaume Cizeron criticized the judging at the Finland Grand Prix, expressing frustration over technical calls and their impact on creativity and athlete morale in ice dance. His comments were reported by Sports correspondent Maya Bagryantseva. Here’s a translation.
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron received 79.89 points for their performance and are currently in first place. The judges counted their opening dance as a choreographic sequence, even though it is placed as the final element in their program.
“Of course, I’m angry. I see that there are some strange games going on that are destroying ice dance. I don’t think I’ve ever been at a competition like this in my career – in terms of judging. We’re happy with how we skated today; we worked very hard after the event in France.
So honestly, we were surprised when we saw what levels everyone was getting at this event. It’s sad to see – not even because of our own scores, but because of other teams who came here fully prepared. Everyone works like crazy, and now I see disappointment on their faces. Many are losing heart.
It’s as if the goal is to stop the creative process. We all try to come up with something unique and new, and instead of being supported, we’re forced to spend huge amounts of time on silly rules. Did we hold hands for 5 or 6 seconds? That alone can cost us a huge number of points. All of this makes it hard to work and develop properly.
I don’t want to get too deep into technical details, but I’m sure it’s important for the next generation of skaters that today’s athletes speak out about how we want to develop the sport, where we want to go, what interests us and what doesn’t. And I have pretty high hopes that things will go in the right direction – at least, I want to believe that.
Of course, rules are necessary and important. But balance is key: I don’t think it’s normal to lose 8–10 points just because you touched your partner’s shoulder. That’s not even a mistake! But that’s the reality today. It’s become difficult to skate, difficult to coach, and difficult to judge. Because in the end, you can end up in a place in the standings that doesn’t reflect how you actually skated.”
Related topics: Grand Prix Finlandia Trophy, Guillaume Cizeron
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