Evgenia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud: “We’ve been chasing a European medal for three years. We gradually got closer and now, it’s more beautiful than we hoped.”
Evgenia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud about winning silver at the 2025 European Championships.
original source: lequipe.fr February 1st, 2025 by Celine Nony
French ice dancers Evgenia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud won silver at the 2025 European Championships. This is the first medal at Europeans in their careers. Here’s a translation of their comments posted on L’Equipe.
Q: What does this first European medal represent for you?
Evgenia Lopareva: Hard work!
Geoffrey Brissaud: We’ve been chasing a European medal for three years. We gradually got closer (5th in 2023, 4th in 2024), and now, it’s more beautiful than we hoped.
Evgenia Lopareva: It’s quite something! Our first podium, and it’s already second place.
Q: After your second place in the rhythm dance, did you feel more pressure?
Evgenia Lopareva: Oh yes! Yesterday (Friday, the day of the rhythm dance), I was calm. Today, I felt this stress rising through my body. I told myself, ‘let it come.’ And when I entered the ice… (she exhales) Everything went well. I was cool.
Geoffrey Brissaud: It’s not about being second, but realizing that the judges truly considered us good, we had to show that we could go the distance and stay in second place. We managed that, even though the level was very high, higher than the last two years. To take the silver amid such competition is really good. As for the stress, it never left me (he laughs). It’s still there.
Q: Does this mean you haven’t realized it yet?
Evgenia Lopareva: Not at all. I’m still trying to realize the gold medal from the Grand Prix (Angers, early November).
Geoffrey Brissaud: I keep telling myself I need to nail my twizzles, tighten the foot… I haven’t realized it yet. Maybe after the gala?
Q: Strangely, you didn’t react in the kiss and cry when the scores showed and the medal was secured…
Geoffrey Brissaud: But, I think it’s a matter of upbringing. We were taught to respect the sport. It’s a silver medal, but there’s work behind it. We are happy, but we don’t necessarily show it. We are like that, two rather shy people in real life.
Q: What’s your perspective on your performances?
Geoffrey Brissaud: When you come for a medal, and it’s already bigger than you thought, from the short (rhythm dance), I think we skated a little less freely (in the free dance).
Q: With this boost, how do you see what comes next?
Geoffrey Brissaud: I agree and disagree about the boost. This year, we are starting to enter the top 6 in the world (they were 8th at the World Championships in March 2024), where there are veterans, young ones starting to push the veterans. There’s no hierarchy, no code. We build, we will prepare for the World Championships as we have always prepared for the championships: be ready, let the programs go through. Of course, with our level increasing, but we won’t put pressure on ourselves, there shouldn’t be a result goal, but a performance goal.
Evgenia Lopareva: Of course, to be third, you need to work for it. But when arriving at the competition, you just need to show what you’ve worked on. We don’t focus on the place but on the performance needed to achieve it. Before the free dance, there were four couples quite close. It was seen, it doesn’t take much. Since we can only control our performance, we’re happy to have managed to show what we’ve worked on.
Q: Is it a mistake to think more about medals than performance?
Evgenia Lopareva: It wouldn’t be a mistake, but it can cause more stress.
Geoffrey Brissaud: It depends a lot on the person. We, we want to build. Not too quickly, not slowly, but step by step, and one day, there will be a medal if there is to be one. You shouldn’t get to the top too quickly. There, our technique was there, the audience was there, the judges were there. It’s everything that makes a day beautiful.”
Related topics: European Championships, Evgenia Lopareva, Geoffrey Brissaud
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