France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron won the ice dance gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

This stunning victory came on February 11, 2026, during the free dance finale in Milano Cortina, marking an upset over the heavily favored American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates. The French pair edged out the three-time reigning world champions by a razor-thin margin of just 1.43 points, finishing with a season-best 225.82 while Chock and Bates scored 224.39.

Event Highlights

  • French Triumph : Fournier Beaudry (33) and Cizeron (31) delivered a near-flawless performance to music from the film Whale , showcasing smooth avant-garde style and top scores across elements after leading by only 0.46 points post-rhythm dance.
  • American Heartbreak : Chock and Bates, training partners and friends based in Montreal, skated a passionate flamenco to a symphonic "Paint It Black" but couldn't overcome the narrow deficit in this emotional showdown.
  • Bronze for Canada : Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier claimed third, rounding out the podium in a discipline where precision and artistry collide under immense pressure.

Historic Milestone

Guillaume Cizeron made skating history as the first ice dancer to win consecutive Olympic golds with different partners —his prior triumph came in Beijing 2022 alongside Gabriella Papadakis. This marks France's second straight Olympic ice dance gold, a rare feat unmatched since Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov in 1994-1998. The new partnership, formed just one year ago after Cizeron's retirement from his world-title-winning duo, turned heads with their rapid rise from unproven to unbeatable.

The Thrilling Lead-Up

The competition gripped fans from the rhythm dance, where the French held a slim edge amid high stakes. Chock and Bates, Olympic silver medalists in prior Games, entered as favorites but faced distraction from the electric atmosphere—yet delivered a standing-ovation-worthy effort. Picture the ice shimmering under arena lights, blades carving intricate patterns as judges pored over every twizzle, lift, and transition in this test of chemistry and skill.

What Fans Are Saying

Trending discussions buzz with awe over the upset:

"Cizeron with a new partner and back-to-back golds? Unreal. Beaudry stepped up huge—flawless under pressure!"

Forums highlight the razor-close scores, with some calling it the most dramatic ice dance finale since 2022. Speculation swirls: Could this duo dominate Worlds next? Lighthearted buzz notes Cizeron's partner switch as "the ultimate glow-up."

Final Standings

Rank| Team| Country| Total Score
---|---|---|---
🥇 Gold| Laurence Fournier Beaudry / Guillaume Cizeron| France| 225.82 1
🥈 Silver| Madison Chock / Evan Bates| USA| 224.39 1
🥉 Bronze| Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier| Canada| Not specified 3

This Olympic shocker cements 2026 as a year of surprises in figure skating, where new partnerships rewrote the record books.

TL;DR : France's Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron snatched ice dance gold in a nail-biter over U.S. stars Chock/Bates at the 2026 Olympics—history made!

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