In a final that will definitely be talked about for years, France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron snatched Olympic gold in what will be remembered as one of the most incredible ice dance finals in Olympic history. By just managing to edge out the heavily-favoured American pair, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, they’ve created a massive reaction that’s spreading like wildfire across U.S. media and social media platforms.
The French team finished with a total score of 225.82, edging the Americans’ 224.39 by just 1.43 points. It was a razor-thin margin, the kind that guarantees debate. Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier took bronze.
A Performance Built on Greatness and Controversy
Many see Guillaume Cizeron as one of the greatest ice dancers the sport has ever produced. His skating is known for his sublime edge control, a glide that looks like it’s been oiled, and a musical sensitivity that’s exceptional.
And with Fournier Beaudry, she brought an intensity and a precision to the ice that matched Cizeron perfectly. The French duo really put on a show for the ages. Their free dance was an absolutely breathtaking blend of passion and technical skill that left no doubt in the minds of the judges.
Their chemistry and connection on ice out there was undeniable. The way the two of them moved together was just effortless. Transitions flowed in and out of each other like they were one person. And the lifts looked like they were dancing through the air.
More than a few of the analysts made the point that while both teams were exceptional, the French ice dance duo just had a little extra something, a palpable edge that was impossible to ignore.
The partnership of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron has been weighed down by a fair amount of baggage. Gabriella Papadakis, Cizeron’s former partner, described their professional relationship as one of “control” and “domination” in her memoir, which Cizeron denied, leading to legal action.
And Fournier Beaudry also has her own skating share of drama. Her former skating partner and current life partner, Nikolaj Sørensen, faced a six-year suspension for “sexual abuse” allegations, which was later annulled on jurisdictional grounds but remain under arbitration.
Arguably, if extra off-ice issues arise, they should be handled as they are meant to be, by federations, teams, and legal authorities, not in the scoring of a competition. On the ice, however, the French duo delivered a performance that was cohesive, emotional, and flawless, and they seemly earned their gold purely on merit.
Related: USA vs France: The Drama Behind 2026 Olympics Figure Skating
For Experts, The Edge Was Technical, Artistic and Emotional
Despite the commotion, most analysts agree with the judges’ decision. NBC’s in-depth analysis of the competition noted that Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron were out front from the start. They didn’t just surge at the last second, they were consistently ahead, even if only slightly. That kind of steadiness is often what makes champions.
The commentators were big on their speed, the way they were able to pull off these deep edges and the seamless way their transitions came together. And this was a program that was clearly a beast to skate, but somehow they made it look effortless.
What really pushed them over the top was Cizeron’s incredible component scores. The guy’s got a gift for making the toughest technical moves look about as beautiful as a work of art and the judges rewarded that heavily. In the end, the scores told the story, there was just no contest when it came to their “raw technical superiority”.
While the judges certainly loved the ‘aquatic’ kind of elegance they brought to “The Whale routine”, the reaction on social media was pretty split. Lots of fans felt Chock and Bates deserved the gold medal for bringing such an emotional impact to the ice.
But neutral voices — who weren’t from France or the US — tend to say that the French pair did bring some real heart to the ice, just maybe in a more subtle, poetic way that complemented their technical superiority perfectly.
For those, the result was close, but fair.
American Fans Disagree: “Robbed” and “Rigged”
Still, the online reaction was immediate and intense. Though in ice dance, claims of a “rigged” result are almost a tradition among angry fans. Across Reddit, many American fans were very emotional and reacted with outrage, calling the outcome “rigged” or “a robbery.” Some argued the scoring did not reflect what they believed they saw on the ice. One commenter fumed: “The French couple had visible mistakes but still beat the Americans — WTF…”
Others questioned specific marks: “How did they get those perfect scores?”
“The technical judge didn’t seem to do their job.”
In one particularly active thread, reactions escalated into full-blown rage:
“Bobble on the twizzles — USA was clearly better.”
“Points should’ve given gold to Madi & Evan.”
“Who is paying off the judges?”
“I’m trying not to rage right now.”
It was a perfect storm of passion, disbelief, and very emotional American fans venting their frustration online — the kind of firestorm that only a razor-thin Olympic finish can ignite.
A Sporting Win
At the end of the day, ice dance is a sport and it really should be judged on the actual performance on the ice. Fair enough, the American pair must have been pretty gutted by this result. Like any athlete eyeing the gold would be. They’ve spent years working towards Olympic gold and were convinced it was theirs after such a storied career . Like any athlete eyeing the gold would be.
But medals cannot be decided based on personal history. Arguably, if it were judged on whose shelf looked better, the outcome would be different but then that wouldn’t be sport at all. Why even compete then? You might as well hand out the medals before the skaters step on the ice.
To be fair to Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, beyond just the skating, they deserve a huge amount of credit for their mental strength. They navigated off-ice drama and all this massive stress that went with it. And especially skating through it all with people wanting them to lose was probably even more difficult.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered a seriously impressive skate of their own. And as one of the most respected teams in the sport, they remain on an exceptional level. Their precision theatrical presence and long partnership have really defined an era of American ice dance and their 3 time world champion record is just incredible.
Their emotional reaction in the kiss-and-cry area showed both pride and heartbreak. Bates said, “We really did our best, and I think that is something that we’ll try to remember and focus on most right now, is that we really did our best.”
The debate may continue online. But in Milan, France did skate into history.
