Just a month after capturing Olympic gold, French ice dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry continued their remarkable run of success by winning the gold medal at the 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The event took place in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 28, where the pair delivered a performance that not only matched but surpassed the quality of their Olympic victory.
Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry's triumph was especially notable given their relatively short partnership, having only begun training together in March 2025. Their rapid ascent to the top of the sport set a new benchmark, as they became the fastest ice dance duo to win both Olympic and World Championship gold titles. This victory marked Fournier Beaudry's first world title, while Cizeron secured his sixth, building on four previous World Championships won with his former partner Gabriella Papadakis.
The competition was fierce, with Canadian duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier earning the silver medal. Gilles and Poirier, who have been skating together for 15 years, have now claimed five world medals alongside an Olympic silver, making this their third consecutive silver medal at the World Championships. Their consistent presence on the podium speaks to their enduring skill and partnership strength.
The United States also celebrated a significant achievement as Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik claimed the bronze medal in their world championship debut. The pair carried the hopes of American ice dance in the absence of three-time World Champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who did not compete. Zingas and Kolesnik's performance ensured that the United States continued its impressive streak of medaling in ice dance at the World Championships for the 13th consecutive year.
Other American teams, Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, as well as Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, finished in eighth and twelfth place, respectively. Their placements reflected a competitive field and underscored the depth of American talent in ice dance.
The final standings of the top competitors were as follows: - Gold: Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (France) with a total score of 230.81 - Silver: Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier (Canada) with 211.52 - Bronze: Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik (United States) with 209.20 - Fourth: Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson (Great Britain) with 208.98 - Fifth: Olivia Smart & Tim Dieck (Spain) with 206.37 - Sixth: Evgenia Lopareva & Geoffrey Brissaud (France) with 203.77 - Seventh: Allison Reed & Saulius Ambrulevicius (Lithuania) with 200.66 - Eighth: Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko (United States) with 200.56 - Ninth: Marjorie Lajoie & Zachary Lagha (Canada) with 199.06 - Tenth: Diana Davis & Gleb Smolkin (Georgia) with 198.65
The competition featured several standout moments and dramatic shifts in the standings. Spain's Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck delivered a stirring Free Dance performance themed around the film "Dune," earning a personal-best score and drawing the first standing ovation of the day from the enthusiastic Czech crowd. Their strong showing placed them at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final group of skaters.
French duo Evgenia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud, who qualified sixth after the Rhythm Dance segment, opened the Free Dance portion on Saturday. Their solid performance, while commendable, fell just short of overtaking the Spanish pair.
Next on the ice were Zingas and Kolesnik, who "made a statement" with a powerful and authoritative routine in their first World Championship appearance as a team. Their performance earned them a personal-best Free Dance score of 124.99 points and vaulted them into first place with three teams remaining to skate.
Following the Americans were Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, reigning world bronze medalists. Their performance to an energetic Scottish-themed mashup demonstrated significant improvement compared to their showing at the previous Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. Their routine energized the audience, eliciting a highly positive response.
However, despite the crowd's enthusiasm, the British pair faced disappointment when their technical score was dramatically reduced due to a two-point deduction for an illegal element. This penalty dropped them from first place to second, with two teams still to skate. The deduction sparked a wave of boos from the O2 Arena audience, who had just witnessed an emotionally charged and skillful routine. Commentator Mark Hanretty noted the crowd's reaction and the visible distress of the skaters and coaches as they searched the scoreboard for clarification.
The penultimate performers were the Canadian team of Gilles and Poirier. Fresh off winning Olympic bronze in Milan-Cortina, the duo aimed to return to the World Championship podium for their fifth medal as partners. Their Free Dance program, performed to "Wuthering Heights," was a strong routine, though it did not quite reach the ethereal quality of their previous Olympic performance. Nonetheless, their effort was enough to surpass the Americans and take the lead, positioning them well for a silver medal finish.
The final act belonged to the French champions, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron. Entering the Free Dance with the largest score advantage ever recorded in World Championship ice dance history, they needed only a clean performance to secure gold. Skating to a dramatic piece from the film "The Whale," the pair executed their best twizzle sequence of the year, showing clear improvement over their Olympic-winning routine.
Hanretty praised their performance, calling it "utter brilliance" and highlighting their superior skating skills. The duo's flawless execution earned them a personal best total score of 230.81 points and a commanding victory by nearly 20 points over the silver medalists. Their performance was met with a standing ovation from the crowd, a fitting end to their extraordinary competitive season.
This World Championship win solidifies Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron's place among the elite ice dance teams in history. Their rapid rise to the top, combined with Cizeron's continued excellence on the world stage, underscores the dynamic nature of ice dance competition in 2026. Meanwhile, the podium placements for Canada and the United States affirm the ongoing strength and depth of North American ice dance.
The 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Prague provided fans with thrilling performances, dramatic moments, and memorable achievements. As the ice dance season closes, attention now turns to future competitions, where these top teams will seek to maintain and build on their successes.