Paris (AFP)
This letter, sent on October 12 and of which AFP has obtained a copy, is signed by the president of the FFSG Nathalie Péchalat and addressed to the president of the ISU, the Dutchman Jan Dijkema.
"For several months, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron have been targeted, not on a sporting level, but because of Guillaume's sexual orientation", who made his homosexuality public in May 2020, deplores the FFSG.
"It started on social networks, it is now relayed by the media," she continues.
The French federation refers to the words of the international judge of figure skating - and not of ice dance - Alexander Vedenin reported by the site of the Russian sports channel MatchTV about ten days ago on the occasion of the Finland Trophy, a secondary circuit competition won by the French duo.
"Papadakis and Cizeron are very good. (...) It will be difficult to beat them. It will be necessary to bet on another idea of the dance and new elements, but also on the feelings! They skate very well but in a cold way. One of the partners has a non-traditional sexual orientation, and that cannot be hidden "while" Sinitsina and Katsalapov (the Russians crowned world champions in 2021 in the absence of Papadakis and Cizeron, editor's note) can express real love , and that can lead them to victory, ”Vedenin said.
"We cannot accept what is happening to our athletes. The International Skating Federation cannot remain silent in the face of this surge of hatred", writes the FFSG, which asks the ISU on the "measures (which it) counts take to stop all that ".
Papadakis and Cizeron, 2018 Olympic vice-champions, four-time world champions and five-time European ice dance champions, are the main contenders for gold at the Beijing Games in less than four months, the only title they lack. awards.
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