Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron win gold at 2026 World Figure Skating Championships

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France took the World Ice Dance title in Prague, Czechia, on Saturday. The team, who also won gold at the Olympics and Europeans, nearly had a “grand slam” season, but were second at the Grand Prix Final earlier this season. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada earned the silver, while USA’ s Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik edged out Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain for the bronze in their debut at this event.

Several top ice dance teams from the 2026 Olympic season, including Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (ITA) and Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA), opted not to compete at this event. Their absence left the field wide open, offering a golden opportunity for emerging teams and returning contenders to stake their claim on the podium.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron

Rhythm Dance

Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron delivered a polished, style-forward rhythm dance with confidence to “Vogue.” The 2026 Olympic champions showcased intricate transitions throughout, picking up a level four on the twizzles, pattern steps, and rotational lift. All elements were awarded high grades of execution, mostly +4 and +5, and they served up a new personal best score of 92.74 for first place.

Fournier Beaudry debuted a refreshed costume adorned with sparkling stones for the event.

“I wanted something special for Worlds, so I got a new costume to enjoy the last performance here—the last performance with this costume,” she explained. “Of course, there’s a bit of nostalgia letting this program go.”

Cizeron said there was a little stress in the duel at the Olympics, but that they are more relaxed at this event.

“After the Olympics, we had a lot of media in Paris, so we spent some time there,” he said. “We came back home, rested a little…we were a bit sick for a week. Then we started training again, went to Lithuania for a show, and really enjoyed it there. It was a very good preparation. And then we trained at home for Worlds.”

“When we were going into the season, it was clear from the start that we would do the full season, including Worlds,” said Fournier Beaudry. “It’s also our first Worlds together, so we really wanted to go there.”

Free Dance

Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron delivered a captivating free dance to music from The Whale, which opened with strong level-four twizzles. The one-foot steps were graded a rare level four, as did all lifts and the dance spin. The serpentine steps were rewarded a level three. One of the highlights was the difficult curve-curve combination lift that received +5 GOEs across the board. The 2026 European champions placed first in both this segment and overall with two new personal best scores (138.07/230.81).

“We really had a good time tonight,” said Fournier Beaudry. “It was a really magical moment. We really felt the energy of the crowd. They were really warm and it felt like a celebration of a long and beautiful season for us. We are just really grateful.”

Before coming to Prague, the team spent time in Pairs and then came down with the flu.

“Then we had a little less time than we thought to prepare for Worlds, but it wasn’t that hard, honestly,” said Cizeron. “We take so much pleasure in everyday practice, and I think we were just really trying to enjoy our last days and weeks of practice with our coaching team. I think we are so grateful that we got this experience this year. We achieved all of our goals that we set for ourselves a year ago.”

They will go on vacation Monday to spend time with their families and coaching team.

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier

Rhythm Dance

The 2026 Olympic bronze medalists scored a new season’s best (86.45) for second place in their spirited, high-shine rhythm dance to “Supermodel” and “I’m Too Sexy.” The twizzles and rotational lift were marked a level four, while the midline and pattern steps were a level three.

Gilles said the performance felt good.

“I think we really kind of took the pressure off ourselves,” she said. “I think we kind of treated this program as we did it at home. We enjoyed each moment. The arena felt so comfortable, which was so strange for such a big arena, filled with thousands of people. But we’ve been doing this a long time. We can really rely on our training and rely on all of the experiences that we’ve had over the last couple of world champions trips.”

Free Dance

The four-time World medalists reverted to their 2023-24 free dance to music from the Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights soundtrack.

Gilles explained that after the Olympics, they had time to think about what they wanted to do in Prague.

“One of the things that was on our minds was whether we wanted to try to recreate the magic of the free dance at these championships,” she explained. “And that felt like a lot of pressure. So when we got home, we reviewed all of the past free dances from this quad, and we felt like ‘Wuthering Heights’ was the one that interested us the most. It made us feel the most excited. And then we gave ourselves about a week and a half to see if we could get it back into our bodies, but it came back quickly.”

The team delivered a compelling interpretation of the theme, displaying level-four twizzles and a level-four straightline-rotational lift. The serpentine steps were graded a level two, while the dance spin and curve lift received a level three. They posted positive GOEs on all elements, scoring 125.07 for third place. With a total score of 211.52, Gilles and Poirier maintained second place overall for their third consecutive silver medal.

“I think the free dance, as expected, was going to be a challenge for us,” said Gilles. “It felt a little bit like that, but again, we gave a program that we truly enjoy, and I think the audience really loved it as well.”

The team will head to Japan on Monday to begin touring with Stars on Ice.

“We have a show on Friday, so that’s going to be a quick turnaround for us, but we love the challenge,” said Gilles. “It will be really fun. And then we’re home for a short five days before we jump back on the Canadian tour across Canada until May. After that we will have a very well-deserved vacation that we still need to plan.”

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik

Rhythm Dance

Zingas and Kolesnik did not lack any energy in their high-octane “Poison” rhythm dance. The pattern steps only received a level two, but the twizzles and rotational lift were a level four. The 2026 Four Continents champions earned a new personal best 84.21 for fourth place.

“I feel like we saved a little bit,” Kolesnik said of the energy they put out. “My mindset going into this was, no matter if we skate clean or if we do mistakes, I just want to enjoy this performance. I want to give this program justice because it’s been such a great vehicle for us. I just want to have fun with it one more time. If I mess up going too hard, that’s okay. If I sometimes save somewhere, that’s also okay, as long as I enjoy it. This performance is for me and for Emmy.”

Free Dance

The two-time Grand Prix medalists exuded intensity throughout their free dance to Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. They powered through the elements, picking up a level four on the twizzles, spin and lifts. Both the one-foot and diagonal steps were graded a level two, and the team scored new personal best of 124.99 four fourth place. With a total score of 209.20, they found themselves on the third spot of the podium.

“My brain is still processing what’s happening,” said Zingas. “All I can say is that I’m just so full of joy, and it’s a miracle night for us. I’m so excited, and I’m so grateful to be sitting up here with these guys. It feels so real, surreal. I’m very grateful for our skate today, our coaching team, and our families that are here supporting us from all over the world.”

“The future seems so bright that we need sunglasses,” added Kolesnik.

The ice dancers will take a few days off then plan to go back to work.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have that much time to take off when we get home because we have to start preparing for the next season,” said Zingas. “And then we will do some shows. And actually, we’re having our vacation in May for a week, which we are really excited for. In the summer, we’re planning to go to Italy to make our free dance, and maybe then start our Challengers before the Grand Prix season.”

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson

Rhythm Dance

Fear and Gibson produced a level-four rotational lift, but the twizzles were graded a level three. Still, the 2025 World bronze medalists exuded bold, pop-star flair in their dynamic “Spice Girls” rhythm dance. They placed third with 85.09 points.

“We really felt joy right at the end of our performance,” said Gibson. “We were both really just so happy with what we did and also to feel that the audience was on our side. The moment was so special, especially on the last rhythm dance of the season.”

The team is coming off a heart-breaking seventh-place finish at the Olympics following a rough free dance.

“I cried a lot,” admitted Fear, “both of us actually. It was important to process the disappointment and to feel it and then let it go through. And then to move on really lighter. We had the family at the Olympics. We really wanted to continue and celebrate the occasion that we’ve been working towards our whole life and that they were such a part of. So, we did spend time with our family, and we did watch different events, met different athletes. We did not sleep very much. I lost my voice, and then we went back to the real world in Montreal.”

Free Dance

The two-time European silver medalists of Great Britain ignited the crowd with their Scottish-themed free dance, earning high GOEs on all elements. Gibson lost two levels on twizzles, and the stationary-rotational lift was graded a level three and four, and the team received a two-point deduction for an “illegal element.” However, both the curve lift and dance spin were awarded a level four. Both the team and the coaches looked baffled when the scores came up while the crowd booed their disapproval of the marks. They earned 123.89 for fifth place in this segment, and with a total score of 208.98, slipped off the podium to fourth overall.

The ice dancers declined to comment on the deduction, instead, focusing on their performance.

“That’s the skate we’ve been wanting all season,” said Fear. “It was electric out there. We’re so proud of every single thing we did. It was very emotional, because we put in so much work after the Olympics to have that performance. We’re so proud that we delivered that. We are so proud of our performance, and we could hear the crowd when we were backstage, and we just couldn’t wait to get out there. It means the world that everyone came out to support all the skaters. We feel the love of figure skating in the Czech Republic, and it has been such an honor to perform this week.”

“These results do motivate us,” added Gibson. “Like Sheffield was not how we wanted to perform or skate, either. Nor the result that we wanted. The same thing at the Olympics was not what we wanted nor what we had trained. That ultimately motivated us to keep going and keep pushing and to get the performance like we did today.”

The national champs already have ideas for next season.

“Next season we’re really excited to get creative,” said Gibson.

Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck

Rhythm Dance

Spain’s Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck delivered an exuberant rhythm dance to “Freedom” and “Let Me Entertain You,” finishing sixth with a new personal best of 81.06. Their performance featured level-four twizzles and curve lift, while the pattern steps earned a level three and the midline steps a level two.

“This is actually the first time overall in our career,” noted Smart of breaking the 80-point mark. “I was in Montpellier with Adrian (Diaz) and we got 79, and that was the end of our career together. I was like, ‘Damn, so close!’ So I looked down at the screen and I was like, ’81!’ Honestly, we know that we can get 80 and above, but it depends on how we deliver on the date. It depends on how good those rockers and counters are, and that’s not our choosing. It also depends on the technical panel. So even technically today, we didn’t exactly get what we were training for, but the GOEs were due to our training, repetition, and consistency.”

“Today, I had so much fun out there!” added Dieck. “I was like, ‘Oh, is it already over?’ Like, it went by so quickly. The crowd was amazing! The people supported us so much. And it’s like the song says, ‘So let us entertain you.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, let me entertain you!’ And I think we truly did. The crowd had fun and we had a lot of fun overall.”

Free Dance

Smart and Dieck placed second with a new personal best of 125.31 in the free dance with their stunning and theatrical routine to the Dune: Part Two soundtrack. The team impressed with their level-four lifts, spin, and twizzles, as well as their creative choreographic lift. With a total score of 206.37, the 2024 Skate America bronze medalists rose to fifth place overall.

“We are overjoyed,” said Dieck. “We had no expectations coming in here other than to do exactly what we did on the ice. To create a moment, skate the best we ever skated this ‘Dune Part Two.’ And we did that here today on the ice in Prague. The outcome is a small silver medal, something we believed we could achieve and something that we wanted. But we never speak too far into existence because we don’t want to have too many expectations.”

“Yeah, it’s an incredible thing to say, ‘We got a small bronze last year, we got a small silver this year,'” added Smart. “So maybe one day we can actually get the real big medal. But maybe two small ones are like one big one.”

When asked what they were the most proud of this season, Dieck said they were most proud of the moment they create on the ice as a team.

“We really create a story on the ice, especially with our ‘Dune’ program,” he said. “It was a long, long journey. But also not so long because now looking back, it’s only our third season together, which is actually crazy. From the beginning towards the end of the season, we had an absolute climb. Each competition we got better and better, and now towards the end, two personal season’s bests. This is really something we can be super proud of.”

Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud

Rhythm Dance

Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud of France produced a sharp rhythm dance to music by Eiffel 65 and Daft Punk that was highlighted by a level-four stationary lift. Brissaud lost a level on the twizzles, which were graded a level four and three, while the midline steps were a level three and two. Still, the 2025 European silver medalists scored a new personal best of 83.07 for fifth place.

“After the Olympics, for sure we were a little bit tired, but we didn’t stop,” said Brissaud. “We came through practice, and we really liked taking part in Art on Ice. We were just like, ‘Go, go, go,’ continue doing practice. There was no time for post-Olympic depression. We just went right away to the next process.”

Free Dance

The seven-time Grand Prix medalists delivered a distinctive, cutting-edge routine to music by Björk and Clann, placing seventh. Brissaud lost a level on his twizzles, but the lifts and spin were graded a level four. The one-foot steps, which covered a great deal of ice, were awarded a level three. They placed sixth overall (203.77).

“I feel like all the tiredness just collapsed on me once we finished the program,” said Brissaud. “Maybe the technique was not the best, and something happened, but we felt so good because we really felt the connection, and that’s important. And yeah, mistakes happened. Maybe technique was not the best, but we were full of emotions. It’s a process, I believe, and it’s the end of the season, so it’s special for sure.”

“Yeah, it was the longest season we’ve ever had,” added Lopareva. “We definitely will continue for the next season. We create step by step, and we will come back stronger.”

Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius

Rhythm Dance

Lithuanians Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius placed ninth (82.95) after their fun routine to “I’m Too Sexy” and “Cantaloop.” They had a small break in their twizzles, which were graded a level three and four, but the rotational lift was scored a level four. The 2024 European bronze medalists finished ninth in this segment with 79.66 points.

“The crowd was great there tonight!” said Reed. “We’re definitely making it, they’re definitely making it a party. The music, the vibes, everything…everyone was into the program from the start, so we were really grateful for that. I finished having a lot of fun and looking forward to tomorrow.”

“It’s obviously been a very long season,” added Ambrulevicius. “Especially for us having to start in August, and now we are already in late March. It’s been a big challenge and physically it’s not easy, but we’re doing our best and pushing through.”

Free Dance

The five-time ISU Grand Prix medalists placed sixth (121.71) with their dynamic and rhythm-driven routine to music by Faithless. Their routine was highlighted by level-four twizzles, lifts and dance spin. With a total score of 200.66, they rose two spots to seventh place overall.

“This was an interesting one,” said Reed of their performance. “The arena here is very, very beautiful, but the whole thing looks exactly the same. And so starting off with a lift that has to go one way to set up the whole program, it quite didn’t work out today. But we talked in the middle of the program about how to flip it back around, so it worked out in the end, but that was hilarious. I was like, ‘We’re not going to do the choreo step the wrong way, we’re going this way.'”

“But we’re happy about it,” she continued. “This program is meant for the crowd, so we want everyone to rave and dance and unite with us, and we gave them the opportunity to do that. They really grasped onto it, so that was great.”

When asked if the free dance was a “goodbye,” Reed said: “It was a goodbye for the season. We will take a little time off and then we’ll have a chat. We’ll talk with our coaches and then we will see what happens.”

“Yeah, right now, we are just really going to take time off,” added Ambrulevicius. “It was a very long season. Honestly, for two years before, we never stopped.”

Rounding out the top 10

USA’s Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko placed eighth (200.56) overall with three new personal best scores at this event.

“The season was such an emotional rollercoaster,” said Carreira. “It definitely didn’t start out the way we wanted, but we got our act together for the second half. I’m proud of how we wrapped it up and finished. It’s a lot to unwind, but it’s been a really long season with lots of ups and downs.”

“I’m really happy about these last competitions,” added Ponomarenko. “We had a big improvement and pushed ourselves to the limit, especially here. Our goal wasn’t about placements or scores.”

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada placed ninth (199.06).

When asked about next season, Lagha said: “We need to analyze the situation. The skating and all. And we haven’t done this so far. I’m being honest.”

Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin of Georgia rounded out the top 10 teams with a total score of 198.65 in their third appearance at this event.

“We are very happy we had the best skates of the season and it’s great we finished the season with that,” said Smolkin. “The audience was great! They pushed us and made us want to give all we had on the ice. A very long season, and all the competitions were in Europe. But then it was the same for the whole team in Montreal. We felt here like home.”

The team already has ideas for 2026-27 but will take a short break before preparing for next season.

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