Evgeni Plushenko: “What Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron showed us was, without a doubt, art on ice! I was also incredibly impressed by the Spanish duo Smart and Dieck. I’ve already followed them on social media.”

Two-time Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko stated that the free dance by France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron can be considered one of the best of the 21st century.

original source: Sport-Express dd. 12th January

Evgeni Plushenko praised Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron’s free dance at the 2026 Olympics as one of the best of the 21st century, highlighting their artistry and rapid partnership development. Here’s a translation of his comments.

“You could argue endlessly about who deserved gold more, but what Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron showed us was, without a doubt, art on ice!

I was stunned to learn that this newly formed French duo has only been together for a year. It’s hard to believe. What they accomplished in a single season is simply fantastic! I felt as if they had been skating together their entire sporting lives.

On Wednesday, they – and only they – impressed me the most. Their free dance can rightfully be considered one of the best programs of the 21st century, and Cizeron, now a two-time Olympic champion, is a national treasure of France.

The 2026 Olympic silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates are wonderful, but technically and emotionally, the American partner lags far behind his partner. It seemed to me that they spent too much energy in the team event, leaving them short for the individual competition.

I was also incredibly impressed by the Spanish duo Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck. Their program is magnificent, with many unique elements, and the choreography is out of this world! I’m amazed!

Despite finishing sixth in Milan, I’m sure this pair has a great future. I’ve already followed them on social media and will be watching their future programs,” Plushenko wrote in his column for Sport-Express.

Related topics: Evgeni Plushenko, Guillaume Cizeron, Laurence Fournier Beaudry, Madison Chock Evan Bates, Olivia Smart, Olympic Games, Tim Dieck