2026 Winter Olympics Ice Dance Controversy
Laurence Fournier Baudry and Guillaume Cizeron are currently grappling with some issues regarding the scoring of their gold medal ice dance performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
This French duo, who controversially edged out American skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates last week, seem largely unaffected by the contentious atmosphere, which was partly stirred up by French judge Jésabel Dabouis. Dabouis awarded Baudry and Cizeron about eight points more than Chock and Bates, suggesting that the latter would have clinched gold had it not been for Dabouis’s scoring.
In a conversation with a radio station in France, Baudry and Cizeron mentioned they thought their routine could have merited an even higher score, believing they executed a more complex performance than their American competitors.
“Our aim was to win by five to seven points, but we made a few mistakes and lost maybe three or four points,” Cizeron reflected on RMC’s Super Moscato show. “Winning the gold after just one year of working together feels like a significant achievement.”
Following one of those mistakes—though Fournier-Beaudry humorously noted he was merely trying to be creative—Cizeron briefly panicked, wondering if they had lost their chances of securing gold.
“It’s a mental challenge to refocus, pull everything back together, and keep striving to earn points,” Cizeron explained. “I need to brush off any negative thoughts quickly, and my two decades of experience definitely helps.”
“I believe our friendship really assisted us in managing all this stress,” he added.
Baudry and Cizeron’s partnership was born out of necessity after the former’s previous partner and boyfriend faced suspension from Canada’s figure skating organization due to serious allegations. Baudry chose to join the French team to skate with Cizeron, but Cizeron has faced accusations of being “demanding and critical” from his previous partner, Gabriella Papadakis, in her memoir—claims he firmly denies.
The U.S. figure skating team decided against contesting the French judge’s score after the International Skating Union upheld the decision.
Reflections on Scoring Transparency
“It’s normal for scores to vary among judges, and various mechanisms are used to minimize such discrepancies,” the ISU stated. “[We have] complete confidence in the scores we receive and are dedicated to fairness.”
Chock refrained from openly criticizing the judges but emphasized, in a CBS interview, the need for greater transparency in scoring. “Confusion over results can negatively affect our sport,” she mentioned. “It’s tough to keep fans engaged when the dynamics on the ice seem unclear. People need to feel confident about what they’re supporting.”
Chock and Bates expressed their pride in their performance, noting, “We felt we delivered our best. That felt like our Olympic moment, and it was a victory in its own right.” They also stressed the importance of accountability for judges, asserting that fairness is crucial when so much is at stake for the skaters involved.
