“They put ten points between themselves and the second-place team in the free dance. That’s an achievement. It sends the message we wanted to send three weeks before the Olympics.” Romain Haguenauer on Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron
Romain Haguenauer, coach of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, is proud of their work and confident as the Olympics approach.
original source: lequipe.fr dd. 18th January 2026 by Celine Novy
Romain Haguenauer praised Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron’s dominant European Championship performance, highlighting their connection, resilience through challenges, and focus ahead of the Olympics despite recent controversies. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on L’Equipe.
“Q: How did you experience Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron’s free dance?
Romain Haguenauer: As usual (he smiles). With them at 100%, following every movement, every detail. But afterward, there was a certain ease, because they were incredibly smooth today. It wasn’t easy to skate after the British pair; they had to manage the tension. That’s what we asked of them before they went out.
Q: What do you think of their performance?
Romain Haguenauer: They really delivered a flawless skate, an “enormous” score, despite what I think were very strict levels. Scoring 135 points with two level 2s and a level 3 on the steps is huge. There were 10s in the components.
Q: How did they seem before the program?
Romain Haguenauer: I was with them backstage. Laurence was sitting, as if waiting for the subway. Guillaume was standing. They were focused, calm. Before sending them onto the ice, we recreated that bubble between them, between us, saying we were with them. It was up to them to do the job, and they did. They put ten points between themselves and the second-place team in the free dance. That’s an achievement. In ice dance, there are no quadruple jumps or triple axels to create such gaps. That’s what stands out from these European Championships. It sends the message we wanted to send three weeks before the Olympics. But there’s still work to do and small details to refine.
Q: What does a European title with such a performance mean, just a year after they started skating together?
Romain Haguenauer: First, it’s huge in terms of points. It’s certainly a source of pride because the whole team did the work. Guillaume and Laurence really managed to connect. Beyond that, they had to be able to deliver, and they are two exceptional skaters. I know there’s been a lot of talk about Guillaume in the press lately, but I really want to highlight Laurence, who was exceptional at this Championships, who found her place, shone, and showcased Guillaume. Personally, I shouldn’t say this to Guillaume, but tonight, I only saw her. (he laughs) I’ll tell him anyway!
Q:This year hasn’t been simple. How do you view the setbacks you’ve faced?
Romain Haguenauer: We knew there would be small setbacks. They came back with high ambitions, and so did we. That scared people. There was a lot of talk behind the scenes that led to some issues. That’s not to play the victim; it’s normal. There was the music issue (they had to change their rhythm dance music). But what was important was that we always stayed one step ahead. When you have the information, when you’re attentive and sense the atmosphere, you have to react quickly. So far, that’s always been done. We don’t look in the mirror, nor do they, saying we’re great. But we question ourselves and move forward. That makes us stronger.
Q: Of course, with Gabriella Papadakis’s book coming out this week, to what extent did it affect them? How did you have to protect them?
Romain Haguenauer: I think it’s important for any athlete to feel their team behind them. Of course, everyone is there when things are going well. And when things are tough, without necessarily taking sides or being blind to certain situations, they needed to feel we were there. That’s the trust we build every day. You can’t deny things or bury your head in the sand. That would be the worst. This week, I saw in Guillaume’s skating that he was determined to prove his worth in performance and on the ice. He wanted to perform well, but also to show that what was being said about him wasn’t true, that he was in control of his destiny and fully accepted who he is. That he had no problem and nothing to hide.”
Related topics: European Championships, Guillaume Cizeron, Laurence Fournier Beaudry, Romaine Haguenauer
Leave a Reply