Figure skating-French ice dancer Cizeron accuses former partner of smear campaign

SHEFFIELD, England, Jan 14 : Olympic ice dance champion Guillaume Cizeron of France has accused former partner Gabriella Papadakis of spreading falsehoods about him ahead of the Milano Cortina Olympics.

Cizeron, who is competing at the European Championships this week with new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry, said he is the target of a smear campaign linked to Papadakis' memoir, "So as Not to Disappear", which is set for release on Thursday.

Papadakis and Cizeron, who teamed up as children, were among the most decorated ice dance teams in history, winning five world championship titles and gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

They said they were taking a break in June 2022, and announced their retirement two years later.

In excerpts published by French media, Papadakis described an "unbalanced" relationship, calling Cizeron "controlling" and "demanding," and said she often felt "under his grip."

"In the face of this smear campaign, I want to express my incomprehension and disagreement with the labels attributed to me," Cizeron said in a statement. "The book contains false information, including statements I never made, which I consider serious."

He added that his lawyers have been instructed to demand an immediate halt to what he called defamatory claims.

"For more than 20 years, I have shown deep respect for Gabriella Papadakis," Cizeron said. "Despite the gradual erosion of our bond, our relationship was built on equal collaboration and marked by success and mutual support."

Reuters has contacted Papadakis for comment.

Cizeron teamed up with Fournier Beaudry, who previously competed for Canada with Nikolaj Sorensen, last March. Fournier Beaudry received her French citizenship in November, paving the way to Olympic eligibility.

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