The skill and controversy of France's ice dance stars

Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry became European champions in Sheffield this year

The ice dance competition at Milan-Cortina 2026 is heading for a thrilling conclusion, with two of the greatest partnerships in the world contending for the gold.

Currently in silver medal position are the American husband and wife Evan Bates and Madison Chock, gold medallists in the team event and three-time world champions.

Leading the way, only 0.46 points ahead, are a duo who only competed for the first time last November but have instantly clicked - and feature the reigning Olympic champion.

Guillaume Cizeron, 31, won the ice dance title at Beijing 2022, and his new partnership with Laurence Fournier Beaudry is on course to earn him back-to-back golds, following a technically flawless performance to Madonna's Vogue in the rhythm dance.

Following Monday's rhythm dance, the duos return to the ice on Wednesday night for the free dance. The combined scores of both segments will decide the medals.

While the free dance allows couples greater freedom in their routines, the rhythm dance contains required elements for more direct comparison.

The judges determined the French pair to have a better technical score on their step sequence than the Americans - hence their slight advantage.

The objectivity of figure skating judging is a controversy as old as the Olympics and a story for another day.

So plenty of intrigue on the ice - and that's nothing compared to the drama off it.

Fournier Baudry competed for Canada and Denmark before being rushed into French citizenship last year in order to find the champion a new partner.

It comes after Cizeron split with Gabriella Papadakis, with whom he won the Beijing 2022 title, five world titles and his skating partner since they were children.

The split has been extremely acrimonious. Earlier this year, she released a memoir describing an "unbalanced" relationship with Cizeron in which she said she felt "under his grip" and accused him of being "controlling" and "demanding".

Cizeron called this a "smear campaign" and "false information", and is taking legal action. Papadakis, who has worked in figure skating broadcasting since 2024, was fired as an analyst for NBC before these Games because of a "conflict of interest" as a result of her memoir.

As for Fournier Beaudry, she was not available to step in as Cizeron's partner by chance.

She was previously partnered with Canadian skater Nikolaj Sorensen, with whom she is also in a relationship.

But in 2025 Sorensen was given a six-year suspension following a sexual assault allegation dating from 2012. The allegation relates to his behaviour towards an American skater coach and does not involve Fournier Beaudry.

Sorensen has called the allegations "false", while Fournier Beaudry has publicly supported her boyfriend.

In the Netflix documentary Glitter and Gold, which follows the international figure skating tour, she said: "I know my boyfriend 100%. I know him."

Her stance has been criticised by the anonymous complainant, who said the comments "create a dangerous environment for skaters who need to report abuse".

Fournier Beaudry gained French citizenship in November and has since refused to comment further on Sorensen.