2026 Winter Olympics: The skill and controversy of Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry

The ice dance competition at Milan-Cortina 2026 is heading for a thrilling conclusion, with two of the greatest partnerships in the world contending for the gold.

Currently in silver medal position are the American husband and wife Evan Bates and Madison Chock, gold medallists in the team event and three-time world champions.

Leading the way, only 0.46 points ahead, are a duo who only competed for the first time last November but have instantly clicked – and feature the reigning Olympic champion.

Guillaume Cizeron, 31, won the ice dance title at Beijing 2022, and his new partnership with Laurence Fournier Beaudry is on course to earn him back-to-back golds, following a technically flawless performance to Madonna’s Vogue in the rhythm dance.

Since partnering, Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry have won four of the five major competitions they have entered, including the 2026 European Championship in Sheffield.

The exception was the International Skating Union Grand Prix Final, where they finished second – to Chock and Bates, who have performed together since 2011.

Following Monday’s rhythm dance, the duos return to the ice on Wednesday night for the free dance. The combined scores of both segments will decide the medals.

While the free dance allows couples greater freedom in their routines, the rhythm dance contains required elements for more direct comparison.

The judges determined the French pair to have a better technical score on their step sequence than the Americans – hence their slight advantage.

The objectivity of figure skating judging is a controversy as old as the Olympics and a story for another day.

So plenty of intrigue on the ice – and that’s nothing compared to the drama off it.