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French Olympians Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron are pushing back against criticism surrounding their Winter Games gold.
The controversial decision by a French judge gave the French duo an advantage over Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates. French judge Jézabel Dabouis scored Beaudry and Cizeron almost eight points higher than Chock and Bates, who ultimately settled for silver. Without Dabouis’s marks, the Americans would have taken first place on the podium.
As criticism mounted, Beaudry and Cizeron joined the growing chorus of questions about how points were awarded.
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Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France skate after receiving their medals during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Amber Searls/Image Images)
The French duo said they believed they deserved a higher score in their gold medal performance in Milan Cortina. Beaudry and Cizeron argued that their routine was more technically demanding than Team USA’s.
“We had the goal of winning by five or seven points, but we made some mistakes that cost us three or four points,” Cizeron said on the “RMC Super Moscato Show.”
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“Winning gold after just a year of working together is something of an achievement.”
“It’s a mental battle to keep going and put the elements together, get back into the action and go for the points,” Cizeron added. “You have to cut off those negative thoughts that come very quickly, and that’s where twenty years of experience come into play.”
Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of Team France compete in the figure skating ice dance on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Luo Yunfei/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
Cizeron concluded by highlighting what he and Beaudry lean on when moments like this arise. “I think our friendship… allowed us to overcome all this pressure.”
The International Skating Union endorsed the score.
“It is normal for there to be a variety of scores awarded by different judges on any panel and various mechanisms are used to mitigate these variations,” the ISU said, adding that it has “full confidence in the scores awarded and remains fully committed to fairness.”
Silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States, gold medalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France, and bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada pose during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Amber Searls/Image Images)
US Figure Skating has declined to appeal the decision. However, Team USA’s Chock urged clearer scoring standards and stricter oversight of judges.
“Any time the public is confused by the results, it does a disservice to our sport,” the American ice dancer said. “I think it’s hard to retain fans when it’s hard to understand what’s happening on the ice… People need to understand what they’re cheering for and be able to feel safe in the sport they’re supporting.”
“We know how we felt on center ice after skating. We felt like we did our best possible performance. It was our Olympic moment. It felt like a winning skate to us, and that’s what we’re going to hold on to.
“I think it’s also important for the skaters that the judges are vetted and reviewed to make sure they’re also giving their best performance because there’s a lot at stake for the skaters when they’re out there giving it their all, and we deserve to have the judges give us their all too and for it to be a fair and level playing field.”
