Laurence Fournier Beaudry

Laurence Fournier Beaudry
Fournier Beaudry and Sørensen at the 2019 Skate America
Born	(1992-07-18) July 18, 1992 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Canada
Partner	Nikolaj Sørensen
Coach	Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer
Skating club	Town of Mount Royal FSC
Began skating	2001

Laurence Fournier Beaudry (born July 18, 1992) 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

(with Sørensen)

Season	Short dance	Free dance	Exhibition
2019–2020	Blues: Raise A Little Hell Slow Foxtrot: Bonnie Quickstep: This World Will Remember Us (from Bonnie & Clyde) by Frank Wildhorn, Don Black performed by Jeremy Jordan, Laura Osnes choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Samuel Chouinard	Summertime by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, Ira Gershwin performed by Chris Botti, David Foster Georgia On My Mind by Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell performed by Michael Bublé Cry Me A River by Arthur Hamilton performed by Michael Bublé choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Samuel Chouinard
2018–2019	Tango: Balada para mi muerte by Astor Piazzolla Tango: Adiós Nonino by Astor Piazzolla	Spanish Caravan by The Doors Hush performed by Marcin Patrzalek Asturias performed by Marcin Patrzalek	You Are The Reason by Calum Scott, Ilse DeLange
2017–2018	Slow Rhumba: Search for Vulcan from Thunderball by John Barry Cha Cha: Whatever Lola Wants performed by Carmen McRae Rhumba: Whatever Lola Wants performed by Les Baxter Mambo: Peter Gunn Mambo by Jack Costanzo	Spanish Caravan by The Doors Hush performed by Marcin Patrzalek Asturias performed by Marcin Patrzalek
2016–2017	You're the Boss performed by Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret A Little Less Conversation performed by Elvis Presley	La Vie en rose by Édith Piaf	Lay Me Down by Sam Smith
2015–2016	Never Tear Us Apart by INXS	Woman by Shawn Phillips
2014–2015	Flamenco: Malagueña performed by Montana Skies Paso doble: Malagueña performed by Klaus Hallen Dance Orchestra	The Summer Knows by Frank Sinatra Summer of '42 (special composition) by Karl Hugo van Kerckhove Summer Me, Winter Me by Frank Sinatra
2013–2014	Foxtrot: All Of Me by Frank Sinatra Quickstep: I Never Knew by Frank Sinatra Foxtrot: All Of Me by Frank Sinatra	Wall Flower by Peter Gabriel In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Sørensen for Canada

International
Event	18–19	19–20
Worlds	10th	TBD
Four Continents	6th
GP Cup of China		3rd
GP Skate America		3rd
CS Lombardia Trophy		2nd
CS Nebelhorn Trophy		1st
National
Canadian Champ.	3rd
SC Challenge	1st
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew

With Sørensen for Denmark

International
Event	13–14	14–15	15–16	16–17	17–18
Worlds	29th	11th	13th	13th
Europeans	18th	9th	9th	7th	9th
GP NHK Trophy					5th
GP Rostelecom Cup				7th
GP Skate Canada			7th	7th
CS Autumn Classic		3rd		3rd	7th
CS Finlandia Trophy			3rd	4th	3rd
CS Ice Challenge		2nd
CS U.S. Classic			2nd		4th
CS Volvo Open Cup		4th
Ice Challenge	2nd
Pavel Roman	1st
Toruń Cup	3rd
National
Danish Champ.	1st	1st			1st
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew

With Breton for Canada

International
Event	2010–11	2011–12
JGP Romania		11th
National
Canadian Champ.	6th J	12th J
J = Junior level

With Quintal for Canada

National
Event	2008–09
Canadian Championships	16th J
J = Junior level

Detailed results

With Sørensen for Canada

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only. Current ISU personal bests highlighted in bold.

2019–20 season
Date	Event	RD	FD	Total
November 8–10, 2019	2019 Cup of China	3 78.41	3 112.33	3 190.74
October 18–20, 2019	2019 Skate America	3 79.17	3 118.36	3 197.53
September 25–28, 2019	2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	1 81.16	1 119.84	1 201.00
September 13–15, 2019	2019 CS Lombardia Trophy	2 79.11	2 110.25	2 189.36
2018–19 season
Date	Event	RD	FD	Total
March 18–24, 2019	2019 World Championships	10 74.76	9 113.34	10 188.10
February 7–10, 2019	2019 Four Continents Championships	6 73.70	6 113.61	6 186.91
January 13–20, 2019	2019 Canadian Championships	3 79.41	3 119.00	3 198.41

External links

Media related to Laurence Fournier Beaudry at Wikimedia Commons

• Laurence Fournier Beaudry / Nikolaj Sorensen at the International Skating Union