Finally… Gabriella Papadakis, 26, and Guillaume Cizeron, 27, are Olympic champions in ice dancing! In the technical area, the French can exchange a few tears with their coaches. With a cumulative score of 226.98 pts, the French couple largely dominated the event ahead of the Russians Sinitsina and Katsalapov (220.51) and the Americans Hubbel and Donohue (218.02). And succeeds the Anissina-Peizerat duo, titled in Salt Lake City in 2002.
Papadakis and Cizeron were favorites before the Games. Even more after the short program, where they had improved their world record for the specialty (90.83 pts). Passing in last position, after all their competitors, in particular the Russian couple Sinitsina-Katsalapov, the French skaters completed their masterpiece to the sound of Fauré’s Élégie. For more than four minutes, time stood still in the Capital Indoor Arena.
With this Olympic title, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, quadruple world champions and five-time European champions, finally come full circle and touch a holy grail after which they had skated in vain four years ago. Contender for the coronation in South Korea, the blue-white-red pair had to settle for money that did not make them happy. Betrayed by the sewing of a dress that gives way at the start of the short program and sabotages years of work. Despite an exceptional free, the Habs could not catch up on Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who have since retired.
Papadakis and Cizeron took time to evacuate a trauma that they avoid discussing between them. But that everyone had in mind before, and even during, their Beijing performances. “With Guillaume, we talk about it without talking about it. Him, I don’t know, but I had big existential questions after that, Papadakis confided to us before the Games. I skate since I remember existing and the Olympics, it is a consecration. We think there is nothing else in the world. I knew we wanted and could win and I couldn’t imagine an alternative. So when we haven’t won…”
With the arrival of the Covid in the spring of 2020, their route to the top of Olympus took on the appearance of cross roads. Between 2020 and 2021, with the cancellations of events and the difficulties of travel, the protégés of Romain Hagenauer remained twenty months without competing in the slightest competition.
“Before the Covid, we had always managed to strike a good balance between training, our competitions, our personal lives, seeing our family from time to time, earning money with the galas to finance us, continued Gabriella Papadakis. Suddenly, everything disappeared. There were sacrifices to be made. Resources have gone down. I haven’t seen mine for two and a half years (Editor’s note: not having a visa, she risked being prevented from returning to Canada in the event of leaving the territory), I was unable to attend my grandfather’s funeral. It brought to light how much commitment it is. But in the end, the decision was pretty obvious because our ultimate goal has always been to win the Games…”
Forced to stay at their Montreal base, the French sought new resources from local choreographers. The opportunity to take time, find a second wind and push the horizon of their creativity and talent even further. “We took pleasure in coming back and showing that we are even better,” smiled Cizeron. Many adversaries must have hoped that we would not come back! »
