The 2022 Beijing Olympics Ice Dance figure skating events take place on the 12th and 14th of February. The rhythm dance on the 12th and free dance on the 14th.
Twenty-three teams from seventeen countries are scheduled to take part in the event. Here we will introduce all of the competitors.
Armenia
Tina Garabedian & Simon Proulx-Sénécal
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 70.57 | Respect by Aretha Franklin / Bridge Over Troubled Water / Think by Aretha Franklin feat. The Blues Brothers |
| 104.61 | Autumn Leaves by Joesph Kosma, Johnny Mercer / Luck Be a Lady by Frank Loesser |
| 175.18 |
Tina Garabedian (24) and Simon Proulx-Sénécal (30) represent Armenia. Their partnership was first formed in 2015, however the two split for a year after the 17-18 season. During this hiatus Proulx-Sénécal was part of the Canadian synchronised skating team Nova, who won the National championships that season. They reunited in 2019, once again with the goal of trying to qualify for the Olympics. They had to withdraw from 2021 Worlds due to Proulx-Sénécal receiving a false positive coronavirus test. They earned their Olympic spot placing 4th at Nebelhorn Trophy. Garabedian got married in November last year.
Canada
Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sørensen
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 81.16 | Careless Whisper / I Want Your Sex / Freedom! '90 by George Michael |
| 119.84 | Gladiator by Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard |
| 201.00 |
Laurence Fournier Beaudry (29) and Nikolaj Sørensen (32) represent Canada. Earlier in their career they represented Denmark, Sørensen’s country of origin, and qualified a spot for the 2018 Olympics. However, Fournier Beaudry was unable to gain Danish citizenship and their spot was rescinded. They began representing Canada internationally in 2019. They had to withdraw from Nationals and the later cancelled 2020 Worlds due to Sørensen’s recovery from knee surgery. Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen helped earn 3 spots for Canada at the Olympics at 2021 Worlds. The two are a couple.
Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 85.65 | I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues / Still Standing by Elton John |
| 130.98 | Long and Winding Road by Paul McCartney, arranged by Govardo |
| 214.35 |
Piper Gilles (30) and Paul Poirier (30) represent Canada. This will be their 2nd Olympics as a team and Poirier’s 3rd, having competed in 2010 with previous partner Vanessa Crone. They are the 2021 Worlds bronze medalists and are two-time Four Continents silver medalists. Earlier in her career, Gilles partnered with fellow Olympic competitor Zachary Donohue. Poirier has a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics and speaks English, French, Japanese, and Spanish. Gilles and Poirier are two-time Canadian National champions.
Marjorie Lajoie & Zachary Lagha
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 76.43 | Funkytown by Lipps, Inc. / Super Solid Soul Vehicul by Tom McGuire & the Brassholes / Far From Over by Frank Stallone |
| 115.68 | Rio (soundtrack) by John Powell |
| 192.11 |
Marjorie Lajoie (21) and Zachary Lagha (22) represent Canada. They are the 2019 Junior World Champions, becoming the first Canadian ice dance team to win the accolade since Olympic Champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. They hold the World Record for Junior Rhythm Dance score. Lajoie and Lagha partnered up in 2011, and briefly split in 2015 before coach Marie-France Dubreuil encouraged them to reunite. Lagha plays piano and has played at Carnegie Hall. Lajoie’s younger brother is autistic, and she organised a charity event called ‘Atypical Skating’ to raise money for the Autism Foundation.
China
Shiyue Wang / Xinyu Liu
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 77.45 | Trouble by Elvis Presley, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller / Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins |
| 119.30 | Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends performed by The Piano Guys |
| 196.75 |
Shiyue Wang (27) and Xinyu Liu (27) represent China. This will be their second Olympics, having placed 22nd in 2018. They have been partners for 13 seasons and are 4-time National champions. Whilst they usually train at the Ice Academy of Montreal, they have had to receive mostly remote coaching from China since the beginning of the pandemic. They earned their Olympic spot by placing 13th at 2021 Worlds.
Czech Republic
Natálie Taschlerová & Filip Taschler
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 73.22 | Music / Dance 2night / Give Me All Your Luvin' by M.I.A., Madonna, Nicki Minaj |
| 104.29 | Oblivion / Primavera Portena / Invierno Porteno by Astor Piazzolla |
| 175.48 |
Natálie Tascherlová (20) and Filip Taschler (22) represent the Czech Republic. They are the only siblings competing in the ice dance competition at the Olympics this year. The team narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympics at the 2021 World Championships, placing 22nd when the top 20 teams earned spots. Natálie and Filip attended Nebelhorn Trophy in the autumn and placed 5th, earning the final spot up for grabs. They are also the 2020 Nebelhorn Trophy and 2021 Egna Dance Trophy gold medalists, as well as this year’s National champions.
Finland
Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 71.92 | Breathe You In My Dreams by Trixie Whitley / River by Bishop Briggs - Ian Scott, Mark Andress Jackson, Sarah McLaughlin |
| 113.27 | Wild Side by Roberto Cacciapaglia / Bruises by Lewis Capaldi |
| 185.19 |
Juulia Turkkila (27) and Matthias Versluis (27) represent Finland. Both were singles skaters until they teamed up in 2016. After failing to qualify an Olympic spot at 2021 Worlds due to a lift error, the two later won Nebelhorn Trophy to earn the quota. Turkkila and Versluis missed most of the 19-20 season due to Turkkila injuring her neck in a practice session at their first competition of the year. They missed Europeans this year due to Turkkila testing positive for coronavirus despite having recovered from the illness several weeks prior.
France
Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 90.03 | Made To Love / U Move, I Move by John Legend |
| 136.58 | Elegie by Gabriel Faure |
| 226.61 |
Gabriella Papadakis (26) and Guillaume Cizeron (27) represent France. They are the 2018 Olympic silver medalists. They are 4-time World champions and 5-time European champions. Their only defeat this quad was to Russian rivals Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov at 2020 Europeans, the two teams have not faced off against each other since that competition. They withdrew from 2021 Worlds and this year’s Europeans due to coronavirus protocol concerns. Cizeron has written an autobiography called Ma Plus Belle Victoire. Papadakis’ mother is a skating coach and coached the team in their formative years.
Georgia
Maria Kazakova & Georgy Reviya
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 69.98 | Chosen One by Valley Of Wolves / Yeah by Usher Feat. Lil Jon and Luda |
| 106.95 | Dummy by Charlie Clouser / Texas Gypsy Massacre by Xtortion Audio / Mephisto's Lullaby by Xtortion Audio |
| 176.19 |
Maria Kazakova (20) and Georgy Reviya (22) represent Georgia. They are the 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final champions and 2020 Junior World silver medalists. The beginning of their Senior career has been hampered by injury, Reviya has had multiple problems with his knee. Kazakova and Reviya are known for having innovative choreography and started a trend of doing a one-handed cartwheel in their 19-20 Free Dance, a move that has been adopted by skaters such as Rika Kihira and Evgenia Medvedeva.
Germany
Katharina Müller & Tim Dieck
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 69.73 | Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum / Toxic by Britney Spears / Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes |
| 106.02 | Run To You by Whitney Housten / Queen Of The Night by Alexandra Burke / I Will Always Love You by Whitney Housten |
| 173.74 |
Katharina Müller (26) and Tim Dieck (25) represent Germany, although Müller was originally born in Russia and the two spend considerable time training there. This is the 8th season of their partnership. They are two-time National champions and have competed at 3 European championships. They earned their Olympic spot by placing 18th at Worlds. Müller had one partner before Dieck and he had two partners prior to her.
Great Britain
Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 79.97 | I Was Made For Lovin’ You / Forever / Rock and Roll All Nite by Kiss |
| 119.50 | The Lion King (soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer |
| 196.92 |
Lilah Fear (22) and Lewis Gibson (27) represent Great Britain. Gibson was inspired to start skating from watching Dancing On Ice, and competed in pairs and singles before switching to ice dance. Fear’s younger sister Sasha also competes in ice dance. She is a British-Canadian-American citizen and runs a podcast called The Lilah Jo Show. The team were nicknamed the “Disco Brits” in 2018 after their disco medley free dance brought them a wave of new fans. They have placed in the top 5 at Europeans twice, and entered the top 10 at Worlds for the first time last year. They are 4-time National champions.
Italy
Charlène Guignard & Marco Fabbri
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 84.66 | Michael Jackson x Mark Ronson: Diamonds Are Invincible / Smooth Criminal / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson |
| 126.10 | Atonement (soundtrack) by Dario Marianelli / Little Sparrow by Abel Korzeniowski |
| 208.88 |
Charlène Guignard (32) and Marco Fabbri (34) represent Italy. Guignard was born in France. The two have been partners since 2009 and this will be their 3rd Olympics. They found one another through the website Ice Partner Search. Guignard and Fabbri are two-time European bronze medalists and bronze medalists at the 2018 Grand Prix Final. They are 4-time National champions. Guignard and Fabbri are in a relationship and have a pet chinchilla called Molly. They are coached by Olympic bronze medalist Barbara Fusar-Poli.
Japan
Misato Komatsubara & Tim Koleto
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 68.13 | Le Freak by Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers, performed by Chic / What You Won't Do For Love by Bobby Caldwell, Alfons Kettner / You Make Me Feel by James Wirrick, Sylvester |
| 104.07 | Memoirs of a Geisha (soundtrack) by John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman |
| 172.20 |
Misato Komatsubara (29) and Tim Koleto (30) represent Japan. The pair teamed up in 2016 and have been married since 2017. They are 4-time National champions. Komatsubara suffered from multiple concussions in the beginning of the 19-20 season, causing them to withdraw from two events. Koleto competed for Norway and South Korea in ice dance, and the USA prior to that in singles. Komatsubara has previously represented Italy. Koleto received his Japanese citizenship in November 2020, making the team eligible for the Olympics.
Lithuania
Paulina Ramanauskaitė & Deividas Kizala
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 53.15 | Russian Roulette / Hard by Rihanna |
| 79.88 | Lighthouse by Patrick Watson / Hoodoo by Muse |
| 133.03 |
Paulina Ramanauskaitė (19) and Deividas Kizala (23) represent Lithuania. They are the least experienced competitors in the Olympics as they were assigned to the competition after domestic rivals Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevičius who earned the spot were unable to take part as Reed couldn’t gain citizenship. Ramananskaitė competed in singles until 2019 before switching to dance, Kizala’s previous partnership ended as his partner had a chronic injury that forced her retirement. The two are coached by Olympic bronze medalist Maurizio Margaglio.
Poland
Natalia Kaliszek & Maksym Spodyriev
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 76.12 | Quick Musical Doodles by Two Feet / Glory by The Score |
| 112.48 | Heart Cry by Perpetual Emotions / Natural by Imagine Dragones |
| 185.48 |
Natalia Kaliszek (25) and Maksym Spodyriev (28) represent Poland. Spodyriev used to skate for Ukraine but began representing Poland in 2014 when their partnership formed. Kaliszek previously competed in pairs and ice dance with her brother Michał. This will be their second Olympics after placing 14th in 2018. They are 8-time National champions. A pattern dance was created based on their 15-16 short dance called the ‘Tea Time Foxtrot’. It was the chosen pattern for junior ice dancers in the 19-20 season and the team taught seminars to juniors in the pre-season.
ROC (Russian Olympic Committee)
Diana Davis & Gleb Smolkin
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 81.30 | Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas / Bom Bidi Bom (from Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack) by Nick Jonas, Nicki Minaj |
| 118.60 | Moulin Rouge (soundtrack) |
| 199.90 |
Diana Davis (19) and Gleb Smolkin (22) represent ROC (Russian Olympic Committee). They began competing together in 2018, and this is their first season as seniors. Davis is the daughter of Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze. Despite never having resounding success as juniors, Davis and Smolkin surpassed all their junior rivals and well-established senior teams this season to take the third ice dance spot – a rise surrounded by speculation and controversy. They are the only Russian athletes who are currently predominantly coached outside of the country, studying under Igor Shpilband in the USA.
Victoria Sinitsina & Nikita Katsalapov
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 88.73 | You Can Leave Your Hat On (from "Nine 1/2 weeks") performed by Joe Cocker / Brick House by The Commodores |
| 133.02 | Piano Concerto No. 2 / Variations on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninov |
| 221.17 |
Victoria Sinitsina (26) and Nikita Katsalapov (30) represent ROC. The two have both competed at the Olympics before, although not with each other. Sinitsina placed 16th in 2014 with her former partner, whilst Katsalapov is the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist. Their partnership began in 2014. They are the 2021 World champions and two-time European champions. Their season has so far been marred with uncertainty as Katsalapov has been suffering with an intense back injury. They are known for classically-themed Free Dances.
Alexandra Stepanova & Ivan Bukin
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 86.45 | Everybody by Backstreet Boys (Apashe, Oski, Lennon Unofficial Remix) / Monster by Shawn Mendes, Justin Bieber |
| 127.64 | We Have A Map of the Piano by Mum / A Time For Us (from "Romeo and Juliet") by Nino Rota, performed by Sarah Alainn |
| 213.20 |
Alexandra Stepanova (26) and Ivan Bukin (28) represent ROC. They have been partners for 16 years. Despite winning silver at 2018 Nationals, the two were not put on the Olympic team due to alleged issues with Bukin’s drug status, although the situation was never fully explained. Bukin’s father is 1988 Olympic champion Andrei Bukin. The team are 5-time European medalists and two-time National champions. Despite being known for intense chemistry, the two are not a couple. In January Bukin’s girlfriend, part of their choreographic team, gave birth to their son Artyom.
Spain
Olivia Smart & Adrián Díaz
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 78.53 | Proud Mary by Tina Turner |
| 118.87 | The Mask of Zorro (soundtrack) |
| 196.86 |
Olivia Smart (24) and Adrián Díaz (31) represent Spain. Smart is originally British but became a Spanish citizen in 2017. The team won an intense battle with their domestic rivals for the Olympic spot, the opposing team consisting of Díaz’s former skating partner, Sara Hurtado, who he performed in the 2014 Olympics with. They are 3-time National champions and placed 4th at Europeans this year, their best ever Championship result. Díaz is engaged to American ice dancer Madison Hubbell, the two plan to get married next summer.
Ukraine
Oleksandra Nazarova & Maksym Nikitin
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 75.46 | Hit The Road Jack performed by Mariana, Dondi, Iggy |
| 113.18 | Backstage Romance (Moulin Rouge soundtrack) performed by Mario Biondi, Original Broadway Cast of Moulin Rouge |
| 188.64 |
Oleksandra Nazarova (25) and Maksym Nikitin (27) represent Ukraine. They have been partners for 18 years and were 21st at the 2018 Olympics. Nazarova and Nikitin were Junior World bronze medalists in 2015. They are 6-time National champions and 2020 Budapest Trophy champions. They have been top 10 at Europeans three times and have participated in six World championships. They have received coaching from Russian coach Alexander Zhulin, however their training is predominantly based in Ukraine.
USA
Madison Chock & Evan Bates
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 86.02 | Myboi / Therefore I am / Bad Guy by Billie Eilish |
| 129.01 | Contact / Touch / Within / Touch by Daft Punk |
| 213.18 |
Madison Chock (29) and Evan Bates (32) represent the USA. They became partners in 2011 after both of their previous partnerships dissolved. This will be their 3rd Olympics as a team, and Bates’ 4th. They were unsatisfied with their performance at the 2018 Olympics after their skates became tangled and they fell on their spin. Chock and Bates are 2-time Four Continents champions, World silver medalists, and 3-time Grand Prix Final silver medalists. They have been National champions three times. The two are a couple and have a podcast called Unlaced.
Kaitlin Hawayek & Jean-Luc Baker
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 79.52 | Love to Love You Baby - Giorgio Moroder Remix / Bad Girl - Gigamesh Remix by Donna Summer |
| 116.72 | Prelude in E-Minor, Op. 28, No 4 / Nocturne in E-Minor, Op. 72, No. 1 by Frederic Chopin, arranged by Janusz Olejniczak |
| 194.77 |
Kaitlin Hawayek (25) and Jean-Luc Baker (28) represent the USA. Baker was born in England and his mother represented Britain in the 1988 Olympics. The two have been a team since 2012 and won Junior Worlds in 2014. They are the 2018 Four Continents champions. The start to their season was delayed after Hawayek sustained a concussion in training while practicing a lift. Hawayek and Baker are known for their iconic exhibition programs, most notably an Austen Powers medley and a Swan Lake comedy dubbed “Swan-Luc”.
Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue
| ISU Personal Best Scores (Rhythm/Free/Total) | Music (Rhythm/Free) |
|---|---|
| 86.05 | Nasty / Rope Burn / Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson |
| 128.66 | Drowning by Anne Sila |
| 214.71 |
Madison Hubbell (30) and Zachary Donohue (31) represent the USA. They have been partners since 2011, with Hubbell previously partnering with her brother Keiffer and Donohue skating with Canadian Olympian Piper Gilles when they were juniors. They placed 4th at the 2018 Olympics. They are two-time World silver medalists, 2014 Four Continents champions, and 2018 Grand Prix Final champions. Earlier in their partnership they dated, but have remained friends since their breakup. Hubbell is engaged to training mate Spanish ice dancer Adrián Díaz. Donohue is in a relationship with Australian ice dancer Chantelle Kerry. Hubbell and Donohue have announced they will retire at the end of this season.
