Three French representatives took to the ice this Friday morning for the team event in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Alongside Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry, who delivered an impressive performance in their rhythm dance to open the competition, Charlène Guignard also made headlines. However, she did not contribute any points to France as she represents… Italy.
Born in Brest, Guignard began her career under the French flag. After three seasons competing with her compatriot Guillaume Paulmier, she switched partners to team up with Italian Marco Fabbri. This marked the beginning of a remarkable journey on the ice and beyond, as the two have formed a couple in their personal lives as well.
“When we started skating together, I moved to Italy, so I changed my whole life for figure skating; it’s a big sacrifice,” Guignard shared with olympics.com. After three years, she even obtained Italian citizenship to compete internationally alongside her partner. Together, they have become eight-time Italian champions, three-time European champions, and world vice-champions, indicating that their decision to join forces was undoubtedly a positive one.
This marks their fourth Olympic appearance. In 2022 at Pyeongchang, the duo placed fifth. With the upcoming games being held in their home country, they are hopeful of reaching the podium, whether in the team event or the ice dance category. Achieving such recognition would be a dream come true for this couple, who share not only their passion for skating but their lives together as well.
As they prepare for this significant event, fans are eagerly watching their journey unfold on the world’s biggest stage.