Gabriella Papadakis: “Relationship within skating pairs are difficult, complex, and we have no tools to manage them. All this in a competitive system with almost no limits. It’s an open door to all kinds of human excesses.”
Olympic champion Gabriella Papadakis reveals the toxic dynamics and personal struggles she experienced in figure skating and shares her hopes to inspire change for women in figure skating and sports.
original source: Le Figaro dd. 29th January by Leonie Dutrievoz
In an interview with Le Figaro, Gabriella Papadakis discusses the need for change in figure skating’s partner selection, her advocacy for equality and mental health, and her hopes to inspire and protect future generations of athletes. Here’s a translation of her comments.
Q: In figure skating, to compete, you need a partner. In your book, you write that since there aren’t many men, it’s the men who choose among the female skaters they want to collaborate with. This again reflects the patriarchal side of the discipline. Have things changed since then?
Gabriella Papadakis: Unfortunately, no, it hasn’t completely changed yet. But since I spoke out last year, when I skated with a woman, people have started to become aware of this issue. England and Finland have opened competitions to same-sex couples. I hope my book will help raise awareness.
Q: In February 2025, you performed a duet with skater Madison Hubbell at the Art on Ice gala in Zurich. What did that performance mean to you?
Gabriella Papadakis: Throughout my career, I’ve always wanted to help the sport evolve and move mindsets forward. I tried to do that when I skated with a man. So what could I do that had never been done before? Skate with a woman. At the time, I wasn’t ready to talk about what I’d been through, but I knew I’d gone through something difficult, even abnormal. It’s a systemic problem and we need solutions. If women were allowed to skate together, it would help fix this imbalance. I then wrote a book to share my experience, hoping people would realize what this culture does to athletes and women. And there will be more steps to come.
Q: Speaking of next steps, what do you want to put in place to help the sport evolve?
Gabriella Papadakis: With two other people, we’re developing a workshop for athletes, focused on the relationship within skating pairs. These relationships are difficult, complex, and we have no tools to manage them. All this in a competitive system with almost no limits. It’s an open door to all kinds of human excesses. The idea is to teach them what’s acceptable and what isn’t. How to communicate and recognize dangerous situations. The relationship to consent, to gender equality. There’s also an educational aspect for coaches, to raise their awareness. Beyond that, there should be an entity, separate from the federations. Coaches have their ambitions, couples and federations too, and if there’s no one to protect you from others’ ambitions, to act as a buffer, things can quickly go wrong. When I was in dangerous situations, I had no one to turn to, no mediator to resolve conflicts. I was really alone, and I think that’s the case for many athletes.
Q: In recent years, many top athletes have spoken out to break the taboo around mental health. Who inspired and helped you to speak up?
Gabriella Papadakis: Of course, there’s Simone Biles, who was the first with such visibility to prioritize her mental health. Her words and those of all the victims who spoke out against the abuses of former doctor Larry Nassar. Skater Sarah Abitbol (who was raped by her coach at age 15) and the courage she showed in writing her book, Un si long silence, changed a lot in the sport. We need to take care of athletes’ mental health, but above all, look for the causes of these issues. The suffering comes from somewhere. It’s not just because the sport is hard; it often comes from violence we experience in this environment. Why, in this system, are there still so many discriminations and oppression?
Q: After going through all this, what do you want to pass on to young girls starting figure skating?
Gabriella Papadakis: I’d like to tell them that everyone deserves to feel good, to thrive both as a person and as an athlete. If you don’t feel well, it’s important to ask for help until someone gives it to you. Don’t wait for things to get worse. We all deserve to thrive in this wonderful sport.
Q: Is it still wonderful in your eyes?
Gabriella Papadakis: I was a bit disgusted by this sport for a while, I won’t lie. But right now, I’m reconnecting with a form of practice that’s focused on the artistic side. I’m part of a show company called Ice Dance International, based in the United States. It aims to promote the sport outside of competitions and is open to gender diversity. It allows me to keep skating. I want to help make this company better known and share this passion for the sport outside of competitions and, I hope, in France as well.”
Related topics: Gabriella Papadakis
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