Guillaume Cizeron (born 12 November 1994) is a French
ice dancer
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...
. With his partner,
Gabriella Papadakis
Gabriella Maria Papadakis (born 10 May 1995) is a French ice dancer. With her partner, Guillaume Cizeron, she is a 2022 Olympic champion, 2018 Olympic silver medalist, a five-time World champion (2015–2016, 2018–2019, 2022), a five-time con ...
, he is the
2022 Olympic champion, the
2018 Olympic silver medalist, a five-time World champion (
2015–
2016
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,
2018
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–
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
), a five-time consecutive
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
champion (2015–2019), the 2017 and 2019
Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
champion, and a seven-time
French national champion (2015–2020, 2022). They have won ten gold medals in the
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
series. Earlier in their career, they won silver at the
2012 Junior Grand Prix Final and
2013 World Junior Championships.
Papadakis and Cizeron have broken world records 28 times, which is in itself a record across all figure skating disciplines since the introduction of the
ISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System (or the International Judging System (IJS)), occasionally referred to as the Code of Points (COP) system, is the scoring system that has been used since 2004 to judge the figure skating disciplines of men's and ladies' sin ...
in 2004. They are the current and
historical world
record holders in short/rhythm dance, free dance, and combined total. They are the first team to have broken the 90-point barrier in the rhythm dance, the 120-point and 130-point barriers in the free dance, and the first team to score above the 200-point, 210-point, and 220-point barriers in the combined total score.
The pair are recognized for their graceful and balletic style.
[ Their programs, inspired by modern dance, have been described as lyrical,][ and commentators have frequently acclaimed the quality of their skating skills.][
]
Personal life
Guillaume Cizeron was born on 12 November 1994 in Montbrison, Loire
Montbrison (; frp, Montbréson) is a commune and a subprefecture of the Loire department in central France.
Montbrison was the historical capital of the counts of Forez, and today it is the principal city in the Forez.
The commune gives its ...
, France. His father, Marc, is president of the Auvergne Clermont Danse sur Glace skating club.[
Cizeron studied fine arts in ]Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
before moving to Canada.[ He relocated to ]Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
from France on 14 July 2014, following his coach, Haguenauer.[
Cizeron had been open about being gay with family, friends, and many in the skating community for many years. In May 2020, both to honour the ]International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia and Transphobia is observed on May 17 and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide. By ...
and to help people in places that are not as open to LGBTQ
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is ...
people, he made a public post on Instagram of him and his boyfriend and shared some words with the media.
Career
2009–10 season
Papadakis and Cizeron teamed up when they were about 9 or 10 years old in Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attract ...
at the suggestion of her mother, Catherine Papadakis, who coached them from the beginning of their partnership.[ They debuted on the ]ISU Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
series in 2009–10, placing 15th at JGP United States.[ They were 22nd at the 2010 World Junior Championships.][
]
2010–11 season
In 2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
, Papadakis/Cizeron finished 4th at JGP France and then won bronze at their second event, in Austria.[ They advanced to 12th at the 2011 World Junior Championships.][
]
2011–12 season
In 2011–12, Papadakis/Cizeron finished 4th at both of their Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
events.[ They rose to 5th at the 2012 World Junior Championships.][
]
2012–13 season
In mid-June 2012, Papadakis/Cizeron decided to move to Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
to train with new coaches Muriel Zazoui
Muriel Boucher-Zazoui is a French coach and choreographer, and retired competitive ice dancer. She competed with Yves Malatier, and together they are the 1977 and 1978 French national champions. They competed twice at the European Championships ...
, Romain Haguenauer, and Olivier Schoenfelder
Olivier Schoenfelder (born 30 November 1977) is a French retired ice dancer and coach. With partner Isabelle Delobel, he is the 2008 World champion, the 2007 European and the 2008 Grand Prix Final champion.
Career
Schoenfelder began skatin ...
. They competed in their fourth season of the Junior Grand Prix, winning their first title at JGP France and then taking another gold medal at JGP Austria, where they scored their personal best of 142.08 points. Their wins qualified them for the 2012–13 JGP Final in Sochi, Russia.[ Papadakis/Cizeron won the silver medal in Sochi behind Russian ice dancers ]Alexandra Stepanova
Alexandra Nikolayevna Stepanova (russian: Александра Николаевна Степанова; born 19 August 1995) is a Russian ice dancer. With her skating partner, Ivan Bukin, she is a four-time European medalist (silver in 2019, br ...
/ Ivan Bukin
Ivan Andreyevich Bukin (russian: Иван Андреевич Букин; born 16 September 1993) is a Russian ice dancer. With his skating partner, Alexandra Stepanova, he is a four-time European medalist (silver in 2019, bronze in 2015, 2018 a ...
.[ At the 2013 World Junior Championships in ]Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, the French placed second in the short dance. On the day of the free dance, Papadakis sprained her ankle in an off-ice warm-up before the morning practice.[ During the competition, she paused after 2:52 minutes and was allowed a medical break, after which she and Cizeron completed the dance.][ They placed third in the free dance and second overall, stepping onto the podium along with gold medalists Stepanova/Bukin and bronze medalists ]Aldridge
Aldridge is an industrial town in the Walsall borough, West Midlands, England. It is historically a village that was part of Staffordshire until 1974. The town is from Brownhills, from Walsall, from Sutton Coldfield and from Lichfield. ...
/ Eaton.[
]
2013–14 season
Papadakis/Cizeron decided to move up to the senior level for the 2013–14 season. They made their senior international debut at the International Cup of Nice The International Cup of Nice (french: Coupe Internationale de Nice) is an annual international figure skating competition usually held in October or November in Nice, France. It was continuously held from 1995 to 2017 (except 2005) for 22 years. T ...
, winning gold. The duo then competed at two senior Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
assignments, placing fifth at the 2013 Trophée Eric Bompard and seventh at the 2013 Rostelecom Cup
The 2013 Rostelecom Cup was the final event of six in the 2013–14 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena in Moscow on November 22–24. Med ...
. Initially named as alternates for the 2014 European Championships, they were called up when Nathalie Péchalat
Nathalie Péchalat (born 22 December 1983) is a French retired ice dancer and skating official, who served as the president of the Fédération française des sports de glace from 2020 to 2022.
During her competitive career with partner Fabi ...
/ Fabian Bourzat
Fabian Bourzat (born 19 December 1980) is a French retired ice dancer. With partner Nathalie Péchalat, he is a two-time World bronze medalist (2012, 2014), a two-time European champion ( 2011–2012), and a five-time French national champion ( ...
withdrew. They placed 15th at the event, held in January in Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, and 13th at the 2014 World Championships, held in March in Saitama.
2014–15 season
In July 2014, Papadakis/Cizeron relocated with Haguenauer to Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada.[ ]Marie-France Dubreuil
Marie-France Dubreuil (born August 11, 1974) is a Canadian ice dancing coach and former competitor. With her husband Patrice Lauzon, she is a two-time (2006–2007) World silver medallist.
Personal life
Marie-France Dubreuil was born on Augu ...
, Patrice Lauzon
Patrice Lauzon (born November 26, 1975) is a Canadian ice dancing coach and former competitor. With his wife Marie-France Dubreuil, he is a two-time (2006–2007) World silver medalist.
Personal life
Patrice Lauzon was born in Montreal, Quebec, ...
, and Pascal Denis joined Haguenauer as the duo's coaches. Their free dance was inspired by a ballet, Le Parc.[ The two began their season by winning an ISU Challenger Series event, the ]2014 Skate Canada Autumn Classic
The 2014 Skate Canada Autumn Classic was a senior international figure skating competition in the 2014–15 season. A part of the 2014–15 ISU Challenger Series, the inaugural edition of the annual event was held on 15–16 October 2014 in Ba ...
, where they defeated Piper Gilles
Piper Gilles (; born January 16, 1992) is an American-Canadian ice dancer who currently represents Canada internationally. With Paul Poirier, she is the 2021 World bronze medalist and 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, as well as a three-tim ...
/ Paul Poirier
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
. In November, Papadakis/Cizeron reached their first Grand Prix podium, winning gold at the 2014 Cup of China ahead of Maia Shibutani
Maia Harumi Shibutani (born July 20, 1994) is an American ice dancer. Partnered with her brother Alex Shibutani, she is a two time 2018 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World medalist (silver in 2016, bronze in 2011 and 2017), the 2016 Fou ...
/ Alex Shibutani
Alex Hideo Shibutani (born April 25, 1991) is an American ice dancer. Partnered with his sister Maia Shibutani, he is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist (2018), a three-time World medalist (silver in 2016; bronze in 2011 and 2017), the 2016 Fou ...
and 2014 World champions Anna Cappellini / Luca Lanotte
Luca Lanotte (born 30 July 1985) is an Italian former ice dancer. With partner Anna Cappellini, he is the 2014 World champion, the 2014 European champion, the 2015 Cup of China champion and a thirteen-time medalist on the Grand Prix series, an ...
. Beating Gilles/Poirier again, they took their second GP title at the 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard and qualified for their first Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
. At the latter event, held in December 2014 in Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, they placed fifth in the short dance, third in the free dance, and third overall behind Kaitlyn Weaver
Kaitlyn Elizabeth Weaver (born April 12, 1989) is an American-Canadian ice dancer. With partner Andrew Poje, she is a three-time World medalist (2014 silver, 2015 and 2018 bronze), a two-time Four Continents champion (2010, 2015), a two-time Gra ...
/ Andrew Poje
Andrew Poje (born February 25, 1987) is a Canadian ice dancer. With partner Kaitlyn Weaver, he is a three-time World medalist (2014 silver, 2015 and 2018 bronze), a two-time Four Continents champion (2010, 2015), a two-time Grand Prix Final cha ...
and Madison Chock
Madison La'akea Te-Lan Hall Chock (born July 2, 1992) is an American ice dancer. With her skating partner, Evan Bates, she is a 2022 Olympic team event silver medalist, a three-time World medalist (silver in 2015, bronze in 2016 and 2022), a fo ...
/ Evan Bates
Evan Bates (born February 23, 1989) is an American ice dancer. With his skating partner, Madison Chock, he is a 2022 Olympic team event silver medalist, a three-time World medalist (silver in 2015, bronze in 2016 and 2022), a four-time Grand Pr ...
.
In January 2015, Papadakis/Cizeron ranked first in both segments at the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm and took the gold medal by a margin of 8.45 points over the World champions, Anna Cappellini / Luca Lanotte
Luca Lanotte (born 30 July 1985) is an Italian former ice dancer. With partner Anna Cappellini, he is the 2014 World champion, the 2014 European champion, the 2015 Cup of China champion and a thirteen-time medalist on the Grand Prix series, an ...
. In March, they competed at the World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
, China. Ranked fourth in the short dance and first in the free dance, they finished first overall ahead of Madison Chock
Madison La'akea Te-Lan Hall Chock (born July 2, 1992) is an American ice dancer. With her skating partner, Evan Bates, she is a 2022 Olympic team event silver medalist, a three-time World medalist (silver in 2015, bronze in 2016 and 2022), a fo ...
/ Evan Bates
Evan Bates (born February 23, 1989) is an American ice dancer. With his skating partner, Madison Chock, he is a 2022 Olympic team event silver medalist, a three-time World medalist (silver in 2015, bronze in 2016 and 2022), a four-time Grand Pr ...
, whom they outscored by 2.94 points. They were the first French skaters to win a World title since 2008 and the youngest World champions in ice dance in 49 years.[
]
2015–16 season
On 28 August 2015, Papadakis sustained a cerebral concussion after a fall in practice.[ According to Dubreuil, "They clipped each other's blades, and she fell right on her head. The symptoms were instant. We could see she was walking wobbly; she had trouble putting words together."][ Subsequently, Papadakis/Cizeron withdrew from the ]Master's de Patinage
The Master's de Patinage is an annual figure skating test competition held in September in Villard de Lans, France. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing
Ice dance (sometimes refe ...
in Orléans scheduled in the second week of October.[ On 12 November 2015, they withdrew from their Grand Prix events, the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard and 2015 NHK Trophy.][ Doctors were uncertain about how long her recovery would take.][ In March 2016, Papadakis said, "I couldn't go out, skate, read, or have a conversation with people. It was impossible to concentrate. I still have some symptoms."][
Papadakis/Cizeron returned to competition in December to win their second national title. The following month, at the 2016 European Championships in Bratislava, Papadakis/Cizeron placed second to Italy's Anna Cappellini / ]Luca Lanotte
Luca Lanotte (born 30 July 1985) is an Italian former ice dancer. With partner Anna Cappellini, he is the 2014 World champion, the 2014 European champion, the 2015 Cup of China champion and a thirteen-time medalist on the Grand Prix series, an ...
in the short dance. They were first in the free dance and won their second consecutive European title.[
In March, a skate blade hit Papadakis' knee while she was practicing steps with Cizeron.][ According to Haguenauer, "Her knee was open, she had eight stitches but it's superficial," and she resumed training on 21 March.][ Papadakis/Cizeron placed first in the short dance at the 2016 World Championships in ]Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, ahead of Maia Shibutani
Maia Harumi Shibutani (born July 20, 1994) is an American ice dancer. Partnered with her brother Alex Shibutani, she is a two time 2018 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World medalist (silver in 2016, bronze in 2011 and 2017), the 2016 Fou ...
/ Alex Shibutani
Alex Hideo Shibutani (born April 25, 1991) is an American ice dancer. Partnered with his sister Maia Shibutani, he is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist (2018), a three-time World medalist (silver in 2016; bronze in 2011 and 2017), the 2016 Fou ...
of the United States. They set a world record score in the free program of 118.17, beating the previous world record held by Meryl Davis
Meryl Davis (born January 1, 1987) is a former competitive American ice dancer. With partner Charlie White, she is the 2014 Olympic champion, the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2011, 2013) World champion, five-time Grand Prix Final ...
/ Charlie White of the United States of 116.63 at the 2014 Winter Olympics. They won the competition with a personal best overall score of 194.46, 6.03 points ahead of Maia Shibutani / Alex Shibutani. The duo withdrew from their final competition of the season, the 2016 Team Challenge Cup in April 2016, because Papadakis had a mild case of mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis (IM, mono), also known as glandular fever, is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Most people are infected by the virus as children, when the disease produces few or no symptoms. In young adult ...
.[
]
2016–17 season
Competing in the 2016–17 Grand Prix series, Papadakis/Cizeron won gold at the 2016 Trophée de France
The 2016 Trophée de France was the fourth event of six in the 2016–17 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris on November 11–13. Medals we ...
and silver at the 2016 NHK Trophy, behind Canada's Tessa Virtue
Tessa Jane McCormick Virtue (born May 17, 1989) is a Canadian retired ice dancer. With ice dance partner Scott Moir, she is the 2010 and 2018 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion (2010, 2012, 2017) ...
/ Scott Moir. In December 2016, they received the silver medal at the Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
in Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
, France, finishing second again to Virtue/Moir. With numerous small mistakes popping up they were showing the most vulnerability since their rise to the top and were only 3rd in the short dance of this event behind Shibutani/Shibutani.
In January 2017, Papadakis/Cizeron won their third continental title at the European Championships in Ostrava
Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four riv ...
, Czech Republic, although they were only 3rd in the short dance behind Ekaterina Bobrova
Ekaterina Alexandrovna Bobrova (russian: link=no, Екатерина Александровна Боброва, born 28 March 1990) is a Russian retired ice dancer. With partner Dmitri Soloviev, she is the 2014 Olympic champion in the team even ...
/Dmitri Soloviev
Dmitri Vladimirovich Soloviev (russian: Дмитрий Владимирович Соловьёв, born July 18, 1989) is a Russian ice dancer. With partner Ekaterina Bobrova, he is the 2014 Olympic champion in the team event, the 2013 World bro ...
and Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte
Luca Lanotte (born 30 July 1985) is an Italian former ice dancer. With partner Anna Cappellini, he is the 2014 World champion, the 2014 European champion, the 2015 Cup of China champion and a thirteen-time medalist on the Grand Prix series, an ...
.[ At the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships they came in as underdogs after their previous defeats to Virtue/Moir. They won the free dance portion handily with a new personal best and free dance world record of 119.15 points, but due to another subpar performance in the short dance, lost for a 3rd straight time to Virtue/Moir, taking the silver medal.
]
2017–18 season
For the 2017-18 Grand Prix season, Papadakis and Cizeron were assigned to the Cup of China and the Internationaux de France. At the Cup of China
The Cup of China was one of the series of six senior-level, international figure skating competitions held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The Cup of China joined the series in 2003, and was cancelled in 2022 as China enforces s ...
, they set their new short dance personal best of 81.10, a new free dance world record of 119.33 points, and a new overall world record becoming the first team to surpass 200 points with 200.43 points. At the 2017 Internationaux de France
The 2017 Internationaux de France was the 5th event of six in the 2017–18 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble
lat, Gratianopolis
, ...
they set another short dance personal best of 81.40, a new free dance personal best and world record of 120.58 points, and a new overall world record of 201.98 points.
Papadakis and Cizeron won their first ever Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
, setting another new short program personal best of 82.07 points, and a new overall world record of 202.16. They won their 4th consecutive European Championships ice dancing title, the first team to accomplish that since Marina Klimova/Sergei Ponomarenko from 1989 to 1992, handily winning both programs.
At the 2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics ( ko, 2018년 동계 올림픽, Icheon sip-pal nyeon Donggye Ollimpik), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (french: Les XXIIIes Jeux olympiques d'hiver; ko, 제23회 동계 올림픽, Jeisipsamhoe Donggye Ollimpi ...
in Pyeongchang, Papadakis and Cizeron finished second in the short dance with a score of 81.93 despite Papadakis suffering a wardrobe malfunction
A wardrobe malfunction is a clothing failure that accidentally or intentionally exposes a person's intimate parts. It is different from deliberate incidents of indecent exposure or public flashing. Justin Timberlake first used the term when apol ...
, and first in the free skate with a world record score of 123.35, to claim the silver medal.[ Papadakis and Cizeron finished the season at the ]World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, where claimed their third title with world record scores in the short dance, free dance, and overall.[
]
2018–19 season
For the 2018-2019 Grand Prix Season, Papadakis and Cizeron were assigned to 2018 NHK Trophy
The 2018 NHK Trophy was the fourth event of six in the 2018–19 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Hiroshima Green Arena in Hiroshima on November 9–11. Medals were awa ...
and 2018 Internationaux de France
The 2018 Internationaux de France was the sixth event of six in the 2018–19 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble on November 23–25. Med ...
. However, they had to withdraw from NHK Trophy because of Cizeron's injury to his back.[ Competing at the ]2018 Internationaux de France
The 2018 Internationaux de France was the sixth event of six in the 2018–19 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble on November 23–25. Med ...
in Grenoble
lat, Gratianopolis
, commune status = Prefecture and commune
, image = Panorama grenoble.png
, image size =
, caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
, they won the gold medal and set new world records in both programs and overall. Cizeron stated: "I feel like we shared a very good moment with the audience. It was the first time we’ve done our free program this year, so we had a little bit of stress, but I feel the audience connected to it."[
After winning their fifth consecutive French national title, Papadakis/Cizeron next competed at the 2019 European Championships, which they also won for the fifth straight time, setting new world records in the process. Cizeron expressed satisfaction with the free dance, which he called "almost technically perfect."][ They then went on to claim their fourth World title at the 2019 World Championships, again setting new world records in the rhythm dance, free dance, and overall score.][ Papadakis/Cizeron concluded the season at the ]2019 World Team Trophy
The World Team Trophy was a team cue sports event, held in Roissy-en-France, Paris, France. The event was held between 11–12 March 2019. The event sees teams of three players from different disciplines compete in the disciplines of pool, snooke ...
, setting new world records in both the free skating and overall score, while Team France finished fourth overall.[
]
2019–20 season
Eschewing the Challenger series, Papadakis/Cizeron debuted their programs at Master's de Patinage
The Master's de Patinage is an annual figure skating test competition held in September in Villard de Lans, France. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing
Ice dance (sometimes refe ...
before making their first international appearance on the Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
at the 2019 Internationaux de France
The 2019 Internationaux de France was the third event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble, France from November 1–3. Me ...
. They set the world record in the rhythm dance again, eight points ahead of Chock/Bates
Bates may refer to:
Places
* Bates, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Bates, Illinois. an unincorporated community in Sangamon County
* Bates, Michigan, a community in Grand Traverse County
* Bates, New York, a hamlet in the town of Ell ...
in second place.[ They performed their free dance, performed mainly to spoken word poetry, and won the event by a wide margin.][ At ]2019 NHK Trophy
The 2019 NHK Trophy was the sixth event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Makomanai Ice Arena in Sapporo, Japan from November 22–24. Medals were award ...
, they again set the world record in the rhythm dance with a score of 90.03 and became the first couple in history to score over 90 points in the segment.[ Winning the free dance as well, they set another set of world records and qualified first to the ]Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
.[
Competing at the ]Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
, Papadakis stumbled out of her twizzle in the rhythm dance's midline step sequence, leading to them scoring 83.83, their lowest rhythm dance score under the post-2018 judging system. They nevertheless placed first in that segment, albeit narrowly.[ They won the free dance decisively with close to their previous world record score, winning their second Grand Prix Final gold.][
After collecting another French national title, Papadakis/Cizeron competed at the 2020 European Championships in Graz. After the rhythm dance, they were in first place, separated from Sinitsina/ Katsalapov by only 0.05 points.][ In a close result, they lost the free dance and in the overall result finished behind by 0.14 points, winning the silver medal. This marked the first time anyone had beaten Papadakis/Cizeron since Virtue/Moir at the ]2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics ( ko, 2018년 동계 올림픽, Icheon sip-pal nyeon Donggye Ollimpik), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (french: Les XXIIIes Jeux olympiques d'hiver; ko, 제23회 동계 올림픽, Jeisipsamhoe Donggye Ollimpi ...
, and the first time they had been defeated in the free dance since the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final. The result was considered a major upset, with Katsalapov remarking "to get anywhere near Gabriella and Guillaume seemed impossible for all the skaters."[ Papadakis said "we can't always win and we accept that. It is a lesson for us that we probably needed. We knew the competition was very close, so yes, we knew we did not have room for mistakes, and we made them."][
The European result generated immediate speculation that Sinitsina/Katsalapov could challenge Papadakis/Cizeron for gold at the 2020 World Championships in ]Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, but these were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...
.
2020–21 season
With the pandemic affecting international travel, the ISU opted to assign the Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
based primarily on geographic location, but Papadakis/Cizeron were nonetheless assigned to the 2020 Internationaux de France, necessitating traveling from Canada to France. However, the Internationaux was ultimately cancelled due to the pandemic as well.[ Both skaters contracted ]COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
in July 2020, after contact with a third individual, resulting in them being away from the ice for three weeks.[
On November 11, 2020, '' L'Equipe'' reported that Papadakis/Cizeron would skip both the French and ]European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
championships for that season to focus on the World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in Stockholm, citing the difficulty of traveling back and forth between countries frequently.[
On January 20, 2021, Papadakis/Cizeron announced that they would withdraw from the World Championships and would instead be focusing on the 2021/2022 season and the 2022 Olympics. Cizeron stated their reason: "We have never known such a long time without skating. The series of cancellations provoked a climate of uncertainty and doubt that is difficult for all top-level athletes to manage."][
]
2021–22 season
Entering the Olympic season, Papadakis/Cizeron had not decided whether this would be their final competitive year, with Papadakis stating they were "both in that mindset of let's do this season, let's train for the Olympics and then we will see."[ For the street dance-themed rhythm dance, the duo enlisted outside choreographer Axelle Munezero to work on a program based on ]waacking
Waacking (also ''whacking'', ''posing'' or ''punking'') is a form of street dance created in the LGBT clubs of Los Angeles during the 1970s disco era. The style is typically done to 70s disco music and is mainly distinguishable by its rotational ...
, a dance style created in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
' LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
clubs during the Disco Era
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
. Papadakis and Cizeron spent six months studying the history of the dance before beginning the choreographic process, with Munezero saying she approached it as if she was "training dancers that wanted to become waackers and do that as a living."[
The team began the year at the ]2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
The 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy was held on October 7–10, 2021 in Espoo, Finland. It was part of the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of single skating, men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, pairs, and ...
, winning the gold medal. Shortly afterward a controversy emerged relating to homophobic
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...
comments made by Russian skating judge Alexander Vedenin, who said that due to Cizeron's homosexuality there would always be a lack of chemistry between the partners. The French federation wrote a letter to the International Skating Union
The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, N ...
in response.[
Papadakis/Cizeron were initially assigned to the ]2021 Cup of China
The 2021 Cup of China was scheduled to be the third event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was to be held at the Chongqing Huaxi Culture and Sports Center in Chong ...
as their first Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
, but after its cancellation, they were reassigned to the 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia
The 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia was the third event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Torino Palavela in Turin on November 5–7. It was the replacem ...
in Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...
.[ They won both segments and the event, taking the gold medal.][ Cizeron cited improved levels on elements since the Finlandia Trophy as their main takeaway, while saying further improvement was necessary.][ At their second event, the ]2021 Internationaux de France
The 2021 Internationaux de France was the fifth event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble on November 19–21. Medals wer ...
, Papadakis/Cizeron again won gold.[ Performing at home in their own country, Papadakis said they "appreciate it now after the pandemic that it is possible to have an event with such a big audience."][ Their results qualified them for the ]Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
, but it was subsequently cancelled due to restrictions prompted by the Omicron variant
Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
.[
After winning the French national title again, Papadakis/Cizeron were named to the French Olympic team and opted to withdraw from the ]2022 European Championships
The 2022 European Championships were the second edition of the European Championships. It was a multi-sport event which took place in Munich, Germany from 11 to 21 August 2022. The tournament began three days after the conclusion of the 2022 Comm ...
to avoid the risk of the Omicron variant prior to the Olympics.[
Competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in ]Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, Papadakis/Cizeron began the dance event with a record-setting rhythm dance score of 90.83, 1.98 points ahead of Russian rivals Sinitsina/ Katsalapov in second. Papadakis said they were "positively superstitious" about the Olympics as "we've always skated very well in China, and why should it be different this time?"[ They also went on to win the free dance, setting a new world record for total score (226.98). Cizeron said that "the silver four years ago made us to want the gold medal more than anything else. I think we've never worked that hard for a specific goal throughout our career. All the gold medals came one after the other without us really wanting them as a precise goal. This year we gathered the courage actually to want to win."][
Papadakis and Cizeron concluded the season at the 2022 World Championships, held on home soil in Montpellier. Longtime rivals Sinitsina/Katsalapov were absent due to the ]International Skating Union
The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, N ...
banning all Russian athletes due to their country's invasion of Ukraine
The territory of present-day Ukraine has been Invasion, invaded or Military occupation, occupied a number of times throughout History of Ukraine, its history.
List
See also
*List of invasions
*List of wars involving Ukraine
References
...
.[ They won the rhythm dance by a world record score of 92.73, 3.01 points over training mates Hubbell/ Donohue.][ In the free dance they set another world record (137.09) as well as a world record for total score (229.82), taking their fifth World title. With Hubbell/Donohue taking the silver medal and Chock/]Bates
Bates may refer to:
Places
* Bates, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Bates, Illinois. an unincorporated community in Sangamon County
* Bates, Michigan, a community in Grand Traverse County
* Bates, New York, a hamlet in the town of Ell ...
the bronze, the entire podium consisted of skaters from the Ice Academy of Montreal. Papadakis remarked "we're so lucky to have been surrounded by our closest friends here on the podium. I think that's very rare and it's what makes it worth it – gold medals, and the event, and the work. I think friendship, in the end, is what stays."[
]
2022–23 season
In June of 2022, Papadakis and Cizeron announced that they would take a one-year break from competition, but would not rule out returning and pushing for the 2026 Winter Olympics
)
, nations =
, athletes =
, events = 116 in 8 sports
, opening = 6 February 2026
, closing = 22 February 2026
, opened_by =
, cauldron =
, stadium = San Siro Verona Arena
, wint ...
. Cizeron said, "if we were stopping for good, we'd say it." On the possibility of continuing, Papadakis added "creating something new coupled with our will as artists would be a reason to come back. You need an inner fire to compete."[
]
World record scores
Programs
(with Papadakis)
"Short dance
The short dance (SD) was the first segment of an ice dancing competition from the 2010–2011 to the 2017–2018 seasons. It was approved in June 2010 by the International Skating Union (ISU). It merged the original dance (OD) and compulsory d ...
" was renamed as "rhythm dance
The rhythm dance (RD) is the first segment of an ice dance competition. The International Skating Union (ISU) renamed the short dance to the "rhythm dance" in June 2018, prior to the 2018–2019 season. It became part of international competitio ...
" from the 2018-2019 season.
Competitive highlights
''GP: Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
''
With Papadakis
2013–14 to present
2007–08 to 2012-13
Detailed results
''Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.''
Personal Bests are in bold. World record scores are in ''italics''.
With Papadakis
Senior career
''Record in 2017-2018 Season marks the historical world records set before the introduction of the +5/-5 GOE judging system''
Junior career
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cizeron, Guillaume
1994 births
Living people
French male ice dancers
People from Montbrison, Loire
Figure skaters at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Figure skaters at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Olympic figure skaters of France
Olympic gold medalists for France
Olympic silver medalists for France
Olympic medalists in figure skating
Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics
World Figure Skating Championships medalists
World Junior Figure Skating Championships medalists
European Figure Skating Championships medalists
Season's world number one figure skaters
Sportspeople from Loire (department)
Gay sportsmen
LGBT sportspeople from France
LGBT figure skaters