why did gabriella papadakis retire

Gabriella Papadakis has said that she retired from competitive ice dance mainly because she no longer felt aligned with the people and structures around her, not because she stopped loving skating itself.

Quick Scoop: Why Did Gabriella Papadakis Retire?

1. Values no longer aligned

In a French podcast, Papadakis explained that her values no longer matched those of her partner Guillaume Cizeron, her coaches, the French federation, and the broader skating culture she was in. She described realizing that to keep competing at that level, she had to be “in sync” with all of them, and she no longer felt that was the case.

• She questioned whether she still wanted to skate or just didn’t want to stay in that environment.

• She said the structure that had pushed her very far no longer corresponded to who she was becoming as a person.

2. Environment felt unhealthy

Papadakis also said that the Ice Academy of Montreal (IAM), where they trained, no longer felt like a healthy environment for her to continue in. She framed her decision as choosing her well‑being and personal growth over staying in a system that didn’t fit her anymore.

• She emphasized it was not primarily the competitive pressure itself that drove her away.

• She spoke of a “toxic atmosphere” and of not wanting to work where a person facing serious sexual assault allegations remained, reportedly close to her former partner, according to community discussion summarizing her comments.

3. Not just about results or burnout

Official retirement announcements focused on how complete and “beautiful” their career had been and their gratitude to fans. But in more personal reflections, Papadakis made it clear that the deeper reason was the mismatch between her evolving personal values and the culture and relationships around her, rather than simply age, injuries, or lack of motivation to compete.

• She said she had reached a point where she didn’t want to keep sacrificing her own principles just to prolong her career.

• She also hinted that it was emotionally difficult because she might have liked to continue if the context had been different.

4. What she’s doing now (briefly)

Since retiring from competition, Papadakis has talked about closing a “magnificent chapter” and opening another, suggesting she wants to stay active in ways that feel more in line with who she is now. She has also recently been in the news for losing a planned Olympic TV commentary role in the U.S. after publishing a book that included revelations about her former environment and partner’s reaction, which underlines how strongly she’s chosen to speak openly instead of staying silent to protect her career opportunities.

TL;DR: Gabriella Papadakis retired because her personal values no longer aligned with her partner, coaches, federation, and training environment, which she no longer found healthy, even though she still cared about skating and had more she might have wanted to do athletically.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.