Laurence Fournier Beaudry revealed her acquisition of French citizenship on Saturday, enabling the 33-year-old Canadian-born skater to potentially compete for France at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics alongside her partner Guillaume Cizeron.
Back in March, Olympic ice dance champion Cizeron had announced his partnership with Fournier Beaudry after her former partner, Nikolaj Sorensen, was banned for six years due to allegations of “sexual maltreatment.”
“I am now officially French,” Fournier Beaudry shared on Instagram, expressing her immense joy and gratitude towards those who have supported her throughout her journey.
Changing national affiliations is a common practice in ice dance and pairs figure skating due to the limited availability of suitable partners.
Cizeron, aged 30, and Gabriella Papadakis, secured the gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and clinched five world titles before retiring in December 2024. However, Cizeron returned to competition earlier this year alongside Fournier Beaudry, achieving victory at the Grand Prix de France last month.