by Maria Bagdasarova

The 2025 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series features six international senior events this season, hosted this time in the following order: France, China, Canada, Japan, the United States, and Finland. The series will conclude with the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, on December 4–7, where the top six skaters/teams in each discipline will compete.

The first event, Grand Prix de France, took place in Angers on October 17–19. The ice dance competition saw a triumphant debut for Olympic Champion Guillaume Cizeron and his new partner Laurence Fournier-Beaudry who claimed victory in their first international appearance together in front of the ecstatic home crowd.

Event recap

Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier-Beaudry had to come from behind to claim the title in Angers. This season’s rhythm dance theme, set by ISU, focuses on “The Music, Dance Styles, and Feeling of the 1990s”. The newly formed French duo had to redo their vogue routine initially set to two Depeche Mode tracks after their first domestic competition, which was the 2025 French Masters. The revamped program to Madonna premiered in Angers and was the performance to open the ice dance competition. Cizeron and Fournier-Beaudry delivered a characterful and technically strong performance rich in signature vogue hand movements with Fournier-Beaudry wearing a powder-pink corset dress inspired by Madonna’s iconic Jean Paul Gaultier design. However, Cizeron’s fall on the choreographic rhythm sequence didn’t allow them to score more than 78.00 points in the segment.

In the free dance, Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron delivered an exquisite performance to The Whale soundtrack, highlighted by emotional depth of their movement, alongside seamless flow and deep edges. Their interpretation was both refined and powerful, earning them four perfect 10.00s in the program components scores from the judges. With a commanding score of 133.02 points earned in the free dance, they achieved a total of 211.02 points which now tops the season’s best standings.

“We’re really happy with the performance and the feeling we had today,” Cizeron said. “It’s the kind of performance we train and live for — the feeling we’ve missed. It felt amazing to remember how much we love competing and to share this first event together.”

World bronze medalists Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson claimed first place in the rhythm dance with their lively and engaging Spice Girls medley, a program that felt both authentic and perfectly suited to their upbeat style. Their dynamic performance earned high grades of execution across elements and a total segment score of 84.38 points. In their free dance, the British duo paid tribute to Gibson’s Scottish roots with a heartfelt program featuring among others a traditional Scottish song Auld Lang Syne. Combining expressiveness with strong technical content, they achieved the highest base value among the top five teams in the segment. Fear and Gibson’s ability to project pure joy and connection on the ice earned them 125.86 points in the free dance and 210.24 overall (less than a point behind Fournier-Beaudry and Cizeron) and secured their place on the Grand-Prix podium once again.

“We really take it one day at a time,” Fear said, after narrowly missing the gold by less than a point. “Of course, it’s nice to win, but more than that, we’re just so proud of that performance — it felt very much like what we’ve been training.”

Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius showed strong early-season form, having already competed at the Skate to Milano event last month to secure an Olympic spot for Lithuania. Their rhythm dance to I’m Too Sexy and Can’t Loop was playful and engaging, perfectly suited to their outgoing style. The duo delivered a confident and well-balanced performance, finishing second in the segment behind Fear and Gibson but ahead of Fournier-Beaudry and Cizeron. In the Free Dance, Reed and Ambrulevicius skated to the music of Faithless, combining rhythm and emotional intensity. With two solid and consistent performances, they earned a total of 201.05 points, placing third overall and claiming the bronze medal at the Grand Prix de France.

“We’re happy with what we put out on the ice today and what we achieved as a team,” Reed said. “The medal is a nice bonus and gives us a big boost heading into our next Grand Prix in Canada, which we can’t wait for.”

For Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri, the Grand Prix de France proved to be a disappointing start to the season. The Italian duo missed out on the podium by a considerable five-point margin and received uncharacteristically low component scores in both segments of the competition. Their rhythm dance to the Backstreet Boys was warmly received by the crowd, but scored only 77.25 points placing fifth in the segment. Three judges also flagged a possible violation of the music requirements. Their free dance to the soundtrack of Diamanti by Ferzan Özpetek reflected their signature lyrical style and strong technical foundation, but at this point of the season it lacked the usual sharpness and flow that have defined their performances in their recent years. They scored 118.73 points in the free dance and 195.98 points overall, moving to the fourth place overall.

Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin of Georgia continue their upward trajectory in the ice dance rankings, showing steady improvement and developing maturity in their skating. After competing for the third consecutive week, following winning appearances at the Denis Ten Memorial in Kazakhstan and the Trialeti Trophy in Georgia, the duo delivered two strong and polished programs in Angers. Their rhythm dance to The Offspring captured the spirit of the 1990s with energy and cohesion. They earned 77.80 in the segment, which was the fourth score of the night. In the free dance, set to Sonata for Cello & Piano No. 1 in D Major by Nikolai Myaskovsky and A Taste of Elegance by Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen and Gabriel Saban, they displayed flowing movement and beautifully constructed choreography with intricate holds and sculptural positions. The only visible error came from Smolkin on the twizzle, likely a sign of fatigue after three consecutive weeks of competition. They were awarded 116.47 points in free dance and 194.27 as a total competition score that locked them in the fifth place overall.

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Roman Le Gac had a strong outing in Angers and looked well prepared on their quest to make the Canadian Olympic team this season. Their rhythm dance to Prince was sharp, featuring a visually striking lift, while their Cleopatra-themed free dance showcased their originality and expressive choreography. Skating with conviction and strong chemistry in both programs, the duo finished sixth overall.

The two American teams delivered commendable performances in Angers. Eva Pate and Logan Bye continued to build momentum this season, showing improved consistency and musical connection. Their energetic rhythm dance to Metallica and AC/DC and free dance to the Lion King soundtrack earned them a total of 178.68 points, placing them seventh overall. Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville, meanwhile, rebounded strongly after a disappointing rhythm dance with a mistake on the twizzles. Their lyrical interpretation of White Crow and clean execution secured a total of 172.80 points (107.71 in free dance) and an eighth-place finish.

Competing on home ice, Natacha Lagouge and Arnaud Caffa delivered two engaging performances. The French duo earned a total of 171.29 points, placing ninth overall.

Finally, Celina Fradji and Jean-Hans Fourneaux, competing in their first senior season and making their Grand Prix debut, rounded out the standings with two solid performances.