• Last October, a Russian figure skating judge questioned the sincerity of our Papadakis-Cizeron duo on the ice, because of the latter's homosexuality.

  • This is not the first time that the pair of skaters has suffered attacks of this type, again and again from Russia, in a vain attempt to destabilize.

  • After a rhythmic dance test led by the feet of masters, the French hope to confirm this Monday and win Olympic gold on the ice of Beijing.

From our special correspondent in Zhangjiakou,

So, our French, still so cold?

Five months almost to the day after the pathetic declarations of Alexander Vedenin, this Russian figure skating judge caught at 250 an hour on the highway of homophobia, the couple Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron gave a lesson in grace and technical virtuosity, Saturday, on the ice of Beijing.

The result is clear: 90.93 points.

A world record broken by 90 hundredths and a more than comfortable lead over the only real competitors, the Russians Victoria Sanitsina and Nikita Katsalapov (88, 85 pts), before the ultimate test (on the night of Sunday to Monday).

For a story of busy schedule and medal raid on the side of biathlon and Quentin Fillon Maillet, we could not make the trip to Beijing and ask them the question of what remains of Vedenin's words.

We had all the same taken care to touch a (long) word with their coach when he arrived on Chinese soil at the beginning of the month.

But before, let's (re) take a look at the "stupidities bigger than him", according to Romain Haguenaeur.

On the occasion of the Finland Trophy, a secondary circuit competition won by the French duo, in early October, Vedenin let go.

“Papadakis and Cizeron are very good.

(…) It will be difficult to beat them.

It will be necessary to focus on another idea of ​​dance and new elements, but also on feelings!

They skate very well but in a cold way.

One of the partners has a non-traditional sexual orientation, and it cannot be hidden” while “Sinitsina and Katsalapov can express true love, and this can lead them to victory”.

Asked about the subject in early December, French skater Kevin Aymoz, who came out a few years ago, still couldn't believe it: "When I see this kind of remark, I say to myself" but where are we going? ? ".

You don't show the right emotions with your partner because you're not heterosexual?

But he didn't understand anything about life, this guy!

".

An attempt at destabilization that makes pschitt

It was in Helsinki, on boarding the plane taking them back to Montreal, that Romain Haguenauer learned of the attack on the Russian judge.

“It pissed me off,” he recalls.

I told Guillaume that it was unacceptable, because it was said clearly, not even in veiled words.

I told him "you do what you want, but in my opinion it's a serious attack".

He had just come out a few months earlier (in May 2020, on the occasion of the release of his book

My most beautiful victory

).

So he wrote something on the plane to say what he was thinking.

»

“I find it lamentable, these are comments from another time.

I hope we will be judged objectively for performance and not for our sexual orientation.

It's just absurd to remember that it shouldn't matter, he blurts out with a smile so much…… It's just a pathetic attempt to harm us because we are favorites and we are feared .

There are no hateful comments without fear”.

"I've been through worse as an attack..."



Figure skater Guillaume Cizeron reacts to homophobic attacks from Russia, saying the public "just wants to see emotion, virtuosity and connection" during competitions .

#TLS @GuillaumeCIZ pic.twitter.com/Bfpd7jj2se

— francetvsport (@francetvsport) October 20, 2021

If he prefers to laugh about it - "I suffered much worse as an attack", he will say then - and not to give too much importance to what only deserves contempt and indifference, his coach is not necessarily of the same opinion: “Judges, like public opinion or fans, are human beings and therefore subject to influence.

Even if it starts from a homophobic thing, unconsciously you can say to yourself "Hey, it's true that these two French people are cold".

It's easy to sow doubt in people's minds.

And that was exactly the purpose of this Russian judge's remarks, that's why it was important to react because, somewhere, who doesn't say a word is consenting.

»

“I also take it for myself, abounds Kevin Aymoz.

It makes me wonder if sometimes my athletic performance is judged through the prism of my sexuality.

“Especially since, concerning Guillaume Cizeron, it was not the first time that this little homophobic music resounded in their ears.

“There had already been words from the coach of the Russian competitors Gabriella and Guillaume, saying that they were a real man and a real woman.

Implied: Guillaume was not a real man.

It's been said, I read it this summer and it made me angry.

I saw it as a sporting attack and a vile attempt at lobbying.

When waacking opens the royal road to our French couple

A vile attempt, certainly, but also and above all perfectly unproductive.

“It was a serious mistake by the Russians, continues the director of the Montreal Figure Skating Academy.

This judge was not an official speaking on behalf of the federation, but somehow it turned completely against them.

“These even found themselves very annoyed when they had to apologize on behalf of their cumbersome compatriot.

While many in Russia immediately called their counterpart to break away from Alexander Vedenin, it is impossible, however, to make the slightest public statement.

Because in Russia, the fight against homophobia is not, so to speak, a hyper politically correct theme.

Haguenaeur: “There are a lot of gay skaters or coaches who cannot come out, he thinks he knows.

Yet they are huge stars there.

Skating is one of the number 1 sports in Russia and it is very close to power because Putin is a big fan.

He is very close to this environment, his number 1 attaché is married to a former Olympic skating champion.

So, lo and behold, they can't openly live their lives and from a sexuality standpoint.

»

It's a shame because, according to Kevin Aymoz, who took part in the very good Canal + documentary ("Il faut qu'on parle") on the taboo of homosexuality in sport, coming out and speaking freely to the general public allowed him to "remove the bandage" he had put on this secret wound.

This is partly what prompted Guillaume Cizeron to do the same in May 2020.

And on Saturday, on the ice in Beijing, it was on a waacking, a dance "born in gay clubs in the United States in the 1970s", according to Gabriella Papdakis, that the couple brilliantly launched their quest for Olympic gold.

Last December, in Cergy, during the French figure skating championship, Guillaume Cizeron explained to us that he had found in this dance "a way of freeing his true self, of expressing his power" in the eyes of those who, like Alexander Vedenin, still live in the Middle Ages.

Sport

Olympic Games 2022: Papadakis-Cizeron in the lead after the rhythmic dance… QFM in silver on the biathlon sprint… Relive this day with us

Sport

Olympics 2022: What does Russian skater Kamila Valieva's training camp look like?

  • Gabriella Papadakis

  • Figure skating

  • Russia

  • Sport

  • Winter Olympics 2022

  • Guillaume Cizeron

  • Homophobia

  • 0 comment

  • 0 share

    • Share on Messenger

    • Share on Facebook

    • Share on Twitter

    • Share on Flipboard

    • Share on Pinterest

    • Share on Linkedin

    • Send by Mail

  • To safeguard

  • A fault ?

  • To print