In four minutes and thirty seconds, on a work by Gabriel Fauré, L'Elégie, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron flew over the free dance and took their revenge on the fate which had deprived them of gold in 2018.

Four years after the misadventure of the dress which had made its own in full rhythmic dance, Papadakis, 26, and Cizeron, 27, have largely imposed themselves, with a total of 226.98 points, world record at the key, ahead of the Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov (2nd, 220.51 pts) and the Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (3rd, 218.02 pts).

Largely in the lead after the rhythmic dance, they are the first French crowned in figure skating since 2002 and the duo Marina Anissina / Gwendal Peizerat, already in ice dancing.

"It's like being in a washing machine of emotions," said Guillaume Cizeron.

"I restrained myself from screaming a bit. We've been dreaming of this for four years, or even more. Four years ago, we knew we were already capable of it, it was our goal, and this n didn't happen," he continued.

The French Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron crowned in ice dancing at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing on February 14 Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP

"It's the symbol of everything we've been through during these four years, of the work we've done, of our entire career. It's amazing the weight of this medal today," added his partner. .

First title in skating since 2002

They brought France its eleventh medal, the third in gold, after the two won by the strong man of these Games on the French side Quentin Fillon Maillet in biathlon.

Since Pyeongchang, the French duo have experienced only one defeat (European Championships 2020), but have also experienced a delicate period by remaining twenty months, until last October, without skating in competition, mainly because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At 15 and in her first season among seniors, Kamila Valieva is also dreaming of gold in the individual figure skating event which begins on Tuesday.

Russian Kamila Valieva in training on February 13 in Beijing Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP

The CAS, without commenting on the merits of the case, confirmed the lifting of the provisional suspension of the teenager, decided last Wednesday by the Russian anti-doping agency (Rusada).

“Preventing the athlete from competing in the Olympics would cause him irreparable harm,” observed the three referees, even though his young age (under 16) implies specific rules of evidence and lightened penalties.

The young prodigy can therefore continue to defend her chances of individual Olympic gold, from her first season among seniors, even if nothing prevents her from being sanctioned within several months and seeing her results canceled later. including the Olympics.

Trimetazidine

The women's short program is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. local on Tuesday (11:00 a.m. French) and Valieva, who became the first skater to land quadruple jumps in Olympic history during the team competition a week ago, is due to skate at 9:52 p.m. local (2:52 p.m. French).

The Russian teenager, a product of the harsh Eteri Tutberidze champion factory in Moscow, has only 24 hours to focus on the most important competition of his budding career, after several days of a huge storm.

The Russian anti-doping agency last week lifted the provisional suspension of Valieva, who tested positive for trimetazidine, a molecule used to treat angina pectoris, on December 25 during the Russian Championships.

Since her arrival in Beijing, she has actively participated in the crowning of Russia in the team event, becoming the first to land quadruple jumps in an Olympic event.

The medal ceremony for this event has been postponed and may not take place in Beijing during the 2022 Olympics, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said before the CAS decision.

Frenchwoman Tess Ledeux during slopestyle skiing qualifications at the Beijing Olympics on February 14 in Zhangjiakou Ben STANSALL AFP

In slopestyle, the Olympic vice-champion of big air skiing, Tess Ledeux, qualified by taking 9th place in the qualifications before the final which will take place on Tuesday.

Her great rival, the Chinese Eileen Gu, finished third, under the sun returned to Zhangjiakou.

© 2022 AFP