Fifth in the final standings at the end of the free dance presented on Saturday in Japan, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen completed the figure skating worlds with a smile on their faces and a new personal high at the World Championships.
Provisionally fifth at the end of the rhythm dance on Friday, the Quebecers continued their momentum 24 hours later. Their free routine earned them a score of 128.45, fourth best of the session and a new personal best. Fournier Beaudry and Sorensen thus consolidated their place in the final standings with a cumulative of 214.04 points.
“We couldn’t really ask for more and we had a lot of fun! We always work hard to stay in the present moment in everyday life and it feels good to live this kind of moment for a few minutes on the ice. These are rare moments and we are very happy about that,” Sorensen said as he stepped off the ice at Saitama Super Arena.
This is exactly the kind of performance we wanted to deliver. Every time we finished an element, the crowd cheered us on, it was really a great moment!
Laurence Fournier Beaudry
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates were crowned world champions with 226.01 points. Italians Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (219.85) followed in second place, while Ontarians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (217.88) completed the podium.
It was the eighth appearance at the worlds for Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen. In the past, their personal high was eighth place in 2020-21.
The Olympians of the Beijing Games thus complete the best season of their career. In addition to the top 5 at the Worlds, they notably won their first gold medal at a Grand Prix, that of Sapporo, in addition to finishing second at that of Angers, in France.
If the next few weeks will be devoted to rest, Fournier Beaudry and Sorensen will soon be back on the ice to train and find new creative elements for the next season. However, the watchword will remain the same for the duo, namely to skate in a light and positive atmosphere.
“We were very excited to come to Japan and enjoyed every moment. We are very happy with our week, but also with our season. We achieved all of our goals, the first being to have more fun in training, without putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves. That’s what got us here and what will carry us for the next few seasons,” concluded Fournier Beaudry.