article by Nicholas Pucci
As the 1990s approach, when it comes to ice dancing, France has no big show to brag to the eyes of the world. Yes, of course, the spouses Jean-Paul and Christiane Guhel, between the end of the Fifties and the beginning of the Sixties, took a place on the podium several times, at the World Championships (third in 1960 and second in 1962) as well as at the European Championships (success in 1962 following the two placings of honor in 1960 and 1960 and third place in 1959), but otherwise the discipline remains a taboo.
For France to smile again while dancing on the ice, however, our story today needs to start in Canada, specifically in the French-speaking province of Quebec, where Isabelle Duchesnay was born on December 18, preceded by a couple of years by his brother Paulwho thanks to his parents (Canadian father and French mother) was born a couple of years earlier, on July 30, 1961, in Metz, Lorraine. The two offspring, up there in North America, grow in love and agreement, and once they put on skates at a young age, they realize they can really combine the inspiration of one with the grace of the other, forming a couple on ice. The specialty becomes their bread, ed it was by flying the Canadian flag, given their dual citizenship, that they obtained their first significant results, second in 1982 at the national junior championships, before a serious accident involving Isabelle, who violently fell and hit her head, diverting their talent towards dance.
Christopher Dean, none other than the British Olympic champion in dance (with Jayne Torvill) at the 1984 Sarajevo Games, becomes a sort of technical mentor for the two boys, taking care of the choreography of their dance (as well as marrying Isabelle, from whom he will later divorce), but the Canadian Federation he turns up his nose, and then, after two quarters and a third place at the Senior National Championships, that’s it in 1985 the Duchesnay brothers decided to return to France, returning to compete under the bleau-blanc-rouge colorsmother’s homeland. Around Paris, even today they smile at the choice.
It’s time to start being appreciated in the most prestigious buildings and in the most important exhibitionsbut if the results are still far from comforting the ambitions of the Duchesnays, who nevertheless improve with twelfth and ninth place at the World Cup (1986 in Geneva and 1987 in Cincinnati) and eighth and fifth place at the European Championships (1986 in Copenhagen and 1987 in Sarajevo), that’s it finally in the Olympic year 1988 the two transalpine dancers begin to reap the fruits of their work.
In fact, at the European Championships in Prague, from 22 to 27 January, Isabelle and Paul win the bronze medalfinishing behind the Soviets Bestemianova / Bukin and Annenko / Sretenski, and then present their first experience at the Games, scheduled in Calgary. Here the Duchesnay, faithful to their technical, unusual and innovative beliefs, do not go beyond the eighth place, not convincing the judges who struggle to accept their free dance inspired by the sounds of the jungle drumsand then, a few weeks later, col sixth place at the World Cup in Budapestbecome aware of the fact that something is still missing to make the definitive leap in quality. Which punctually happens in the following four years, when the French never get off the podium again, be they Olympics, World Cups or Europeans.
In 1989 the World Cup was held in Parisal Palais Omnisport di Bercyand for the Duchesneys it is a good opportunity to forcefully enter the dance elite. Two Soviet couples, those made up of Marina Kimova/Sergej Ponomarenko and Maya Usova/Alexander Zhulin, become the opponents of challenges on the ice destined to fascinate for four years, and in front of the home crowd Isabelle and Paul are already on the third step of the podium , and then, the following year in Halifax, curiously in that Canada which had repudiated them a few years earlier, improve with second place thanks to a free exercise that gets applause.
In the meantime, at the European Championships, the Duchesnays repeated the bronze medal won two years earlier in Prague in 1990 in Leningrad, and then, in 1991 in Sofia, they completed the same route as at the World Championships, i.e. once again overtaking Usova/Zhulin to finish at shoulders of Klimova/Ponomarenko. And from 12 to 17 March 1991, atOlympic Hall in MonacoThat schedules the Figure World Championships, the ice becomes boiling hot for an epochal confrontation that gives the French sporting immortality. Third after the compulsory, Isabelle and Paul are clearly the best in the original and free exercises, and finally, 2.8 points against 4.6 points of the hammer-and-sickle dancers, they put that dreamed of gold medal around their necks, chased, finally snatched with class and elegance.
For the work to be complete, the Olympics give the Duchesnays a huge chance to perform in 1992 on the ice of the Olympic ice hall in Albertvillein their France, e with Klimova/Ponomarenko, as well as with Usova/Zhulin, it is truly the last crossing of a challenge that marked an era. Once again the obligatory rewards the Soviets, who overtake the French, who as usual they recover with the original exercise and the free one, always to the sound of their jungle dance, so innovative and full of inspiration, but not enough to triumph, and finally, 4.4 points against 2.0 points, they deserve the medal of five-circle silver.
The ovation of the public, cheering the Duchesnays, is a sort of monumental Oscar for the career of Isabelle and Paul. Hat.