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Laurence Fournier Beaudry, the Canadian-born ice dancer, has been granted French citizenship, allowing her to represent France alongside Olympic champion Guillaume Cizeron at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
“Though granted sparingly, such honours reflect a distinctly European notion that citizenship can serve both as a gesture of gratitude and as an investment in human talent”
The 33-year-old athlete, who previously represented both Canada and Denmark, announced the news on Instagram: “It’s official, I’m now French. An immense joy, and especially a great gratitude to all those who have accompanied me on this beautiful journey since the very beginning.” Her naturalisation, confirmed by Reuters and France Info, was approved earlier this month by the French Ministry of the Interior.
Fournier Beaudry’s path to a new flag follows a year of upheaval in competitive ice dance. Her former partner, Nikolaj Sørensen, was suspended for six years for “sexual maltreatment”, prompting her to seek a new collaborator. In March, Cizeron, who with Gabriella Papadakis won Olympic gold in Beijing 2022 and five world titles, announced his return from retirement to skate with Fournier Beaudry. Their debut at the Grand Prix de France in Angers last month ended with a gold medal and strong reviews, fuelling hopes of another Olympic podium for France.
“For France, granting citizenship to Fournier Beaudry is as much about national ambition as artistic excellence. Her partnership with Cizeron embodies the convergence of skill, identity and diplomacy, proof that on and off the ice, borders can shift for those who raise the game”
Switching national allegiances is not unusual in figure skating, where partnerships often cross borders in pursuit of balance and chemistry. Yet Fournier Beaudry’s case also illustrates how modern states increasingly view citizenship as recognition of excellence or service rather than simply a matter of birth or residence.
France itself has a history of awarding nationality in acknowledgement of extraordinary merit. In 2018, President Emmanuel Macron granted citizenship to Mamadou Gassama, a Malian immigrant dubbed the “Spider-Man of Paris”, after he scaled a building to rescue a dangling child. Earlier, President Nicolas Sarkozy extended similar recognition to Lassana Bathily, a Malian shop assistant who hid customers during the 2015 Paris terror attack. Both acts symbolised the Republic’s willingness to honour courage and contribution, values echoed, in a different sphere, by Fournier Beaudry’s elevation.
From a broader perspective, the parallel with Malta’s Citizenship by Merit scheme is telling. Maltese law allows individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the country, whether in science, culture, philanthropy or sport, to be naturalised in recognition of their achievements. Though granted sparingly, such honours reflect a distinctly European notion that citizenship can serve both as a gesture of gratitude and as an investment in human talent.
For France, granting citizenship to Fournier Beaudry is as much about national ambition as artistic excellence. Her partnership with Cizeron embodies the convergence of skill, identity and diplomacy, proof that on and off the ice, borders can shift for those who raise the game.
Sources: Reuters, France Info, NBC Sports, AFP, The Guardian, Identity Malta.
