Figure skating Olympic ice dance champion Cizeron partners with Fournier Beaudry

Olympic ice dance champion Guillaume Cizeron of France is teaming up with Canadian Laurence Fournier Beaudry, he said on Sunday.

Five months ago Fournier Beaudrys former partner Nikolaj Sorensen was suspended for six years for sexual maltreatment.

Today the universe offers us a new adventure, Cizeron wrote in an Instagram post under a photo of himself and Fournier Beaudry. A duo born from friendship, respect and love for the sport. A dance written by the years, and fueled by the fire of our dreams. A new story begins.

Although the post did not specify which country they would represent, the 32-year-old Fournier Beaudry is now listed under the France flag on the International Skating Unions website.

Cizeron, 30, and Gabriella Papadakis won the 2022 Beijing Olympic gold medal and five world titles before announcing their retirement in December.

Sorensen, born in Denmark but who represented Canada, was suspended for a minimum of six years by Canadas Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner amid an investigation over an alleged sexual assault of an American figure skating coach and former skater in 2012.

The allegation has not been proven in court.

Fournier Beaudry and Sorensen finished ninth skating for Canada at the 2022 Olympics and fifth at the 2023 world championships.

They both previously represented Denmark. Switching national allegiances is common in both ice dance and pairs figure skating because of the shortage of partners.

Papadakis recently partnered with American Madison Hubbell, who won gold in the team event at the Beijing Olympics, to skate in exhibition events in a bid to help clear the way for same-sex pairs to compete officially. REUTERS

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