Laurence Fournier Beaudry
Laurence Fournier Beaudry is a Canadian ice dancer, who competes with partner Nikolaj Sørensen. Together they are the 2019 Canadian national bronze medalists.
Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen previously competed for Denmark, winning six ISU Challenger Series medals and representing Denmark at the World and European championships. In March 2018, Denmark released them to represent Canada.
Early Career
Fournier Beaudry initially focused on gymnastics, and began skating in 2001 at the urging of her parents, who were recreational skaters. Early in her career, she competed with Anthony Quintal. Together with Yoan Breton, she appeared on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in 2011. Following that, Breton retired, having achieved his goal of competing internationally.Partnership with Sørensen
Fournier Beaudry had a tryout with Danish ice dancer Nikolaj Sørensen in February 2012. He decided to team up with Vanessa Crone, but called Fournier Beaudry five months later, shortly after Crone's decision not to compete with him.Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen decided to represent Denmark while continuing to train under Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Quebec.
2013–2014 season
Making their international competition debut in the fall of 2013, they won gold at the 2013 Pavel Roman Memorial, silver at the 2013 Ice Challenge, and bronze at the Toruń Cup. At the 2014 Danish Championships, they were the only competitors in ice dance.In their ISU Championship debut, they placed thirteenth at the 2014 European Championships, and concluded the season placing twenty-ninth at the 2014 World Championships in Saitama.
2014–2015 season
The duo competed in three ISU Challenger Series events at the beginning of the season, placing fourth at the Volvo Open Cup, repeating as silver medalists at the Ice Challenge, and earning a bronze medal at the 2014 Autumn Classic. They were again the only competitors at the Danish Championships' ice dance event.At their second European Championships, they placed ninth. At the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai, they placed eleventh.
2015–2016 season
Beginning the season again on the Challenger Series, Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen won the silver medal at the 2015 U.S. International Classic and the bronze medal at the Finlandia Trophy. Making their Grand Prix debut, they placed seventh at the 2015 Skate Canada International.Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen placed ninth at Europeans for the second consecutive year, and finished with a thirteenth-place finish at the 2016 World Championships in Boston.
2016–2017 season
On the Challenger Series, Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen won their second bronze medal at the Autumn Classic International, and placed fourth at the Finlandia Trophy. Given two Grand Prix assignments, they placed seventh at both Skate Canada International and the Rostelecom Cup.The duo placed seventh at Europeans. They went on to place thirteenth at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Due to their result, Denmark qualified a spot in the ice dancing event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
2017–2018 season
They took part in three Challenger Series events, placing fourth at the 2015 U.S. International Classic, seventh at the Autumn Classic International, and winning a second bronze medal at the Finlandia Trophy. At their sole Grand Prix event for the season, the 2017 NHK Trophy, Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen placed fifth. Appearing at their third and final Danish Championships, they were again the only competitors in senior ice dance.For much of the preceding years, Fournier Beaudry's citizenship status had dogged the team, as Danish law required seven years' residency for naturalization, and ultimately no allowance could be made. As a result, they were unable to take part in the Olympics despite having qualified a spot there. Following the 2018 European Championships, where they placed ninth, the two reassessed their options, and decided to switch countries and compete for Canada. In March 2018, Denmark released them for that purpose. Speaking of the challenges later, Fournier Beaudry remarked that they had been welcomed by Skate Canada, and that the Danish federation had always been supportive.
2018–2019 season
For the rhythm dance, Fournier Beaudry chose Adiós Nonino, creating a cut of different instrumental and lyrical versions. She and Sørensen opted to retain their free program from the previous season, revised for the ISU's new rules, because she felt "so much in love with that program. We felt it was growing so much and we did not have the time to get it where we wanted it to be." ISU rules required that a team switching countries sit out international competition for a year from their last international appearance, meaning they were ineligible for the Challenger and Grand Prix series.In their first competition of the season, the 2019 Skate Canada Challenge, the duo placed first in both programs, qualifying for the 2019 Canadian Championships. At the Canadian Championships, they placed third and were named to the team for the 2019 Four Continents Championships and 2019 World Championships. They placed sixth at Four Continents, and tenth at the World Championships.
2019–2020 season
For their first event of the season, Fournier Beaudry/Sørensen won the silver medal at the Lombardia Trophy. They followed this with a gold medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy, their first Challenger title, increasing their personal best score by over ten points. Returning to the Grand Prix after a season away, the placed third in the rhythm dance at the 2019 Skate America, becoming one of the first teams to earn a perfect Level 4 on the Finnstep pattern dance. They placed third in the free dance as well, winning the bronze medal. Fournier Beaudry remarked on the occasion "stepping onto that podium is everybody’s dream, so to finally be able to do it in our first Grand Prix skating for Canada after not being on the circuit last year is just very exciting." At their second event, the 2019 Cup of China, they were again third in the rhythm dance, and the only team at the event to earn a Level 4 on the Finnstep. Third as well in the free dance, despite some minor issues resulting in a lower score than at previous events, they won their second Grand Prix bronze. Sørensen explained afterward that a knee injury had caused him to miss a week of training in between events.Fournier Beaudry/Sørensen did not compete at the 2020 Canadian Championships, due to the latter undergoing a cartilage graft and a meniscotomy to repair his knee. On February 13, 2020, Skate Canada announced that they had been assigned to compete at the 2020 World Championships.
Programs
| Season | Short dance | Free dance | Exhibition |
| 2019–2020 |
by Frank Wildhorn, Don Black performed by Jeremy Jordan, Laura Osnes choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Samuel Chouinard | by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, Ira Gershwin performed by Chris Botti, David Foster by Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell performed by Michael Bublé by Arthur Hamilton performed by Michael Bublé choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Samuel Chouinard | |
| 2018–2019 |
| by The Doors
| by Calum Scott, Ilse DeLange |
| 2017–2018 |
by John Barry
|
| |
| 2016–2017 | performed by Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret performed by Elvis Presley | by Édith Piaf |
|
| 2015–2016 | by INXS |
| |
| 2014–2015 |
| by Frank Sinatra by Karl Hugo van Kerckhove
| |
| 2013–2014 |
|
by Peter Gabriel |