The rhythm dance at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics delivered all the drama and flair that figure skating fans could hope for, with the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron narrowly edging out American favorites Madison Chock and Evan Bates in a contest that’s already being talked about as one for the ages. On the evening of February 9, 2026, at the bustling Milano Ice Skating Arena, the French pair set a new personal best, scoring 90.18 points—just 0.46 ahead of their American rivals, who finished with 89.72 after a costly misstep in their pattern dance step sequence.
For Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, this was more than just a technical triumph; it was the culmination of a whirlwind year marked by personal and professional challenges. Teaming up less than a year ago, the duo has quickly ascended to the top of the ice dance world. Cizeron, a 2022 Olympic champion with Gabriella Papadakis, had announced his retirement after the Beijing Games, while Fournier Beaudry, a Canadian by birth, found herself in limbo after her previous partner, Nikolaj Sorensen, was suspended by Skate Canada in 2024 over allegations of sexual maltreatment. Although Sorensen’s suspension was overturned on jurisdictional grounds in June 2025, the case remains unresolved, leaving Fournier Beaudry searching for a new path—and a new partner.
That new partnership with Cizeron has proved electric. Fournier Beaudry secured French citizenship in November 2025, making her Olympic debut for France possible. The pair made an immediate impact, winning both their Grand Prix assignments and pushing Chock and Bates to the limit at the Grand Prix Final in December. Their rhythm dance in Milan, set to Madonna’s “Vogue,” was a sleek, fashion-forward performance that earned them their highest-ever score and set the standard for the night. “We’ve been working hard the whole season to get over 90, so it was nice to see the score on the screen,” Fournier Beaudry told Olympics.com. “But first of all, just coming out off the ice, we were very happy about what we delivered and the pleasure we had out there. With the energy of the crowd, it was really amazing.”
The French team’s technical prowess shone through, with top marks for their twizzles and rotation lift, and a level four on their pattern dance step sequence—a significant upgrade from their earlier showing in the team event. The atmosphere in the arena was electric, bolstered by the enthusiastic support of French ice hockey players in the stands. “They’ve been cheering hard and that was really fun to see,” Cizeron said. “The public is very warm, but they started cheering as soon as the first notes of the music started, so it can throw you off a little bit. It’s positive energy, but you’re not used to it, so I think it was very important to get that first impression of the team event so that we wouldn’t be surprised today.”
Yet, the French duo’s journey to the top has not been without controversy. In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, Cizeron found himself at the center of a media storm after his former partner, Gabriella Papadakis, accused him of being demanding, controlling, and emotionally manipulative in her memoir, “So As Not To Disappear.” Cizeron has fiercely denied the allegations, calling them a “smear campaign.” Through it all, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron have made it clear that their focus is on the ice and each other. “We’re really creating a bubble between the two of us and our coaches,” Fournier Beaudry said when asked about the distractions. “So when we are out there, it’s about the moment we spend together, and the memories that we’ll bring back from that moment.”
Meanwhile, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the three-time world champions from the U.S., came into the rhythm dance as favorites, fueled by their recent success in helping Team USA defend its team gold medal just 24 hours earlier. Their rhythm dance, inspired by Lenny Kravitz’s rock and roll, had previously earned them a world-leading 91.06 points during the team event. But on this night, a small error in the pattern step sequence—graded down to a level three—proved costly. Despite the setback, Chock remained upbeat. “The game is always on. You should know us by now,” she said, flashing a confident grin. “We’re not changing anything. We’ve got this locked in, locked in where we know ourselves, know our routine. And yeah, we’ve got this.”
Chock and Bates have been nearly unbeatable in the four years since their fourth-place finish at the Beijing Games, capturing three consecutive world titles and dominating the Grand Prix Final. Their sights are set firmly on the individual Olympic gold that has eluded them thus far, and their performance in Milan, while not perfect, keeps them well within striking distance heading into the free dance on February 11. “I’d say a 10,” Chock told Olympics.com when asked to rate their skate. “We were really fired up, we were really excited to be out there. It felt like one of our best skates of the entire season, and we just had a lot of fun. It was a great performance.”
Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier rounded out the top three, scoring 86.18 points after a performance that saw them upgrade their pattern dance step sequence to level four and even out their midline sequence. “We were really present from the moment we started,” Gilles said. “We came out strong. We came out not aggressive but just hungry, and really let the crowd give us the energy that we needed to pull off a good program like that.” Poirier echoed the sentiment, adding, “We want to be on the podium and we know it will take Olympic podium-worthy performances. I think we did that today. We’re really proud of ourselves and we’re excited to bring more for the free dance.”
Elsewhere in the standings, Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson sit fourth with 85.47 points, while Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri thrilled the home crowd to place fifth. The young American duo of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, making their Olympic debut, delivered a personal-best performance to clinch sixth spot, a promising sign for the future of U.S. ice dancing.
With less than half a point separating the top two teams and the free dance looming on February 11, anticipation is at a fever pitch. The rivalry between Fournier Beaudry/Cizeron and Chock/Bates is set for an epic conclusion, with both pairs determined to seize their Olympic moment. For now, the French duo holds the narrowest of leads, but as Chock put it, “The game is always on.”
All eyes now turn to the free dance, where the battle for Olympic gold will finally be decided. Will the French pair complete their stunning comeback, or will the American favorites rise to the occasion? The stage is set for a showdown that promises to be unforgettable.