Gabriella Papadakis, a French ice dancer born in 1995, achieved a historic tally of 34 world record scores during her competitive career. Alongside partner Guillaume Cizeron, she redefined technical and artistic standards in figure skating, becoming the first team to break the 90-point barrier in rhythm dance and exceed 220 total points under the ISU Judging System.
Early Partnership and Junior Years
Papadakis began skating with Guillaume Cizeron in their hometown of Clermont-Ferrand when she was approximately nine or ten years old. Her mother, Catherine Papadakis, coached the pair initially. They debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in 2009. After moving to Lyon in 2012 to train with Muriel Zazoui, Romain Haguenauer, and Olivier Schoenfelder, they secured silver at the 2013 World Junior Championships despite Papadakis suffering an ankle sprain during the event.
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The pair transitioned to the senior level during the 2013–14 season, debuting internationally at the International Cup of Nice. Following a relocation to Montreal in 2014, where they joined coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Pascal Denis, their trajectory shifted significantly. They won the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm and claimed the gold at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai, becoming the youngest ice dance World champions in 49 years.
Olympic and World Dominance
The duo maintained consistent success throughout their career, earning five World titles and five consecutive European championships. They reached a career pinnacle by winning the 2022 Olympic gold medal. Throughout their tenure, they secured ten Grand Prix gold medals and seven French national titles. Their performance style, characterized by lyrical movements and modern dance influences, drew consistent praise from commentators.
Life and Personal Disclosure
Born to Catherine and Emmanuel Papadakis, she grew up in France with an interest in music, learning to play the violin. In 2023, she publicly identified as bisexual and disclosed in her 2025 memoir, Pour ne pas disparaître, that she was a survivor of sexual assault during her youth. The book also documented her complicated professional relationship with her mother and Cizeron, citing feelings of exclusion and excessive external pressure.
Fast facts
- Born: 1995, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Occupation: Ice dancer
- 2022 Olympic gold medalist
- Five-time World champion
- Seven-time French national champion
- Recipient: Knight of the Legion of Honour (2022)
- Recipient: Knight of the National Order of Merit (2018)
- Came out as bisexual: 2023
Questions readers ask
How many times did Papadakis and Cizeron break world records?
They broke world records 34 times, the highest frequency across all figure skating disciplines since 2004.
What specific barriers did the pair break in scoring?
They were the first team to exceed 90 points in rhythm dance, 130 points in free dance, and 220 points in total combined scores.
Achievements
- Knight of the National Order of Merit
- Competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- Competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics
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