We met with Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri after their third consecutive European Championship title.
Skate Info Glace: In the Kiss and Cry in Tallinn, there was happiness, but there also seemed to be a sense of relief, something we didn't notice during your first two European titles. Am I wrong?
Charlène: Let's say that with the first European title, there was a lot of struggle. We were very stressed. For a whole year, everyone kept telling us, "Come on, this year, it's your turn. The first place is yours." Even when you try not to think about it too much, it stays in your mind.
Marco: Last year, we were a bit more relaxed than two years ago, but defending a title is still complicated. It was our first time having to do that, and it's never easy. This year, we handled the situation better. We indeed felt some relief because we faced a few problems at the beginning of the season and hadn't achieved very good scores up to that point. Even though we weren't perfect, neither in the short program nor the free, we still earned good points.
Charlène: Just before us, in the free dance, several couples were very close in the rankings and had delivered excellent performances. At that moment, we thought, "Okay, this is going to be tight." We had no idea what to expect.
Marco: We scored 127.89 points, so we had a bit of a margin in the end. But you never know what can happen. At the Grand Prix Final, we got an "attention" on the choreographic sequence. It can cost you two or three points. In the Kiss and Cry, we always think that surprises can happen.
Skate Info Glace: So, there's more uncertainty with scores now than before.
Marco: Yes, exactly. Sometimes, you don't realize it. At the Final, we didn't make any major mistakes, but it seemed that we were just a bit too far apart from each other—slightly outside the allowed limit.
Skate Info Glace: Your free dance on the robot theme has sparked a lot of discussion. You're known for your skating skills, the fluidity of your movements, and the emotions you convey... Your free dance this year is outside your comfort zone.
Charlène: We received a lot of criticism saying that we weren't showcasing our skating enough. We worked hard to improve that, trying to keep our legs flexible while doing the robot movements with our upper bodies. We had to make quite a few changes. When we came up with the idea of a robot-themed program, it was a new idea that we really liked. We were genuinely happy with what we were doing. Receiving those criticisms was tough. It's true that at the start of the season, we were a bit too stiff. But on the other hand, we thought that was normal since we were portraying robots, so it was part of the concept.
Marco: Finding the right balance between the two wasn't easy.
Charlène: This isn't an emotional program. It's completely different. We can't always do the same thing... I mean, we could, but we don't want to.
Marco: We don't want to be remembered as a couple who can only do one type of thing. We've explored many programs throughout our career: Lord of the Dance, Muse, The Nutcracker, La La Land, Schindler's List... We've changed styles several times. That's how we want people to remember us—as a couple capable of mastering various themes and styles.
Skate Info Glace: Faced with these difficulties, did you ever consider changing your free dance?
Charlène: No. However, we needed to make changes to the free dance. That's why we changed the costumes and modified many elements. We realized that minor adjustments weren't enough. We said, "Okay, let's change everything that isn't working." We completely changed the step sequence, modified the twizzles, adjusted transitions, and decided to emphasize the skating more. From our perspective, it felt like we had stripped the program down. But from the outside, people told us it looked better and that before, we were hitting the music too often.
Skate Info Glace: At the beginning of the season, there were many falls and big mistakes. Almost all the top-six couples experienced one or more difficult programs. What did you think of that?
Marco: Speaking about us and the programs we performed at the Grand Prix de France, we had personal issues unrelated to skating, and mentally, we weren't in a good place at that time for private reasons. In the program, I don't know exactly what happened. Right from the start, we had a problem with the first lift, and that completely drained my legs. They felt stiff—even more so than what the choreography required (laughs). From that point on, I couldn't recover. Every element became really tough, incredibly tough.
Charlène: The fall happened toward the end of the program. Our legs couldn't hold anymore. As for the other couples, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, for example, fell during the choreographic sequence. It was a rather "casual" fall. She landed on his skate after the jump—these things can happen.
Skate Info Glace: Are the programs sometimes too demanding?
Charlène: Yes, a lot is expected of us. For each element, there has to be an entry, the element itself, and an exit. That leaves us little room or time to skate freely and add more choreography or other details.
Marco: One thing I don't like right now is how much focus there is on the distance between partners. Skating close to each other is harder, that's understandable, but it's becoming an excessive source of stress. A few years ago, the teams skated with more distance, which was beautiful. You could really see the skaters gliding, pushing, bending deeply, especially during one-foot step sequences. Today, you have to stay in full control. If you move too far from your partner, the GOEs drop immediately and significantly.
Charlène: Even in choreographic elements like the step sequence, we can't be more than two arms' lengths apart. Otherwise, we risk receiving an "attention," like what happened to us at the Grand Prix Final.
Marco: You can never move too far apart. You can't make a bigger jump, for example. There are so many restrictions.
Charlène: It's extra stress for things that aren't even that technical. The choreographic sequence isn't considered a technical element, but it's super stressful for us.
Skate Info Glace: One surprising aspect about falls is that if you fall during an element, you can lose several points, which might cost you a medal or title. However, if you fall outside an element, you only lose one point, even though it can affect the overall impression of the program just as much.
Charlène: That’s true. I remember Madison Chock and Evan Bates at the World Championships in Saitama. She fell just after the spin, so they only lost one point. However, at Skate America, they fell during the choreographic sequence, and that cost them first place. Should falls outside of elements be penalized more, or should penalties for falls during elements be reduced? I don't know.
Marco: There should be fewer penalties for some mistakes in elements because right now, even a minor mistake—not necessarily a fall—can make you lose a lot of points.
Charlène: The problem is that you lose both the level and the GOE. Sometimes, it's just a slight imbalance, but it can be severely penalized.
Skate Info Glace: Your succession is off to a great start with juniors Noemi Maria Tali and Noah Lafornara. What do you think of their progress?
Marco: They train with us daily—not with Barbara but with other coaches. They are very good. Last year, we already noticed that they had potential, but they made many mistakes in competitions, which prevented them from winning major events. They still managed to podium at a Junior Grand Prix. This year, they're more solid, and honestly, they're good. We're happy to see that there will be someone to represent Italy after us. We wondered what would happen to the Italian ice dance after our retirement—whether there would be a gap without a top couple. It's reassuring. Of course, moving up and achieving strong results in seniors will take time because junior and senior levels are two entirely different worlds. Look at the Czechs, Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek. They are super talented, but it takes time to establish yourself in seniors. So, we'll see how the Italians progress, but we're happy there's someone to carry on after us.
Skate Info Glace: Carry on after Milan 2026? Are you planning to retire after the Olympics?
Marco: Oh yes (laughs).
Skate Info Glace: Will you participate in the 2026 World Championships?
Marco: Theoretically, yes, to finish the season, but we'll decide later.
Charlène: It will depend on how the Olympics go. Many factors come into play: If we're completely drained after the Games or if we still have some energy for Worlds. We haven't made any decisions yet.
Skate Info Glace: I imagine you're aiming for two Olympic medals.
Charlène: We indeed have a team capable of fighting for a medal.
Marco: In men's singles, if they are in top form, we have several skaters who can perform very well. The same goes for pairs. And in ice dance, there's us. There's also potential for the women, with Anna Pezzetta, for instance, who trains with us daily.
Charlène: When we're warming up, we see her jump, and every time I think, "Wow!" She performs incredible jumps.
Marco: She could have made the podium at the European Championships, but she made mistakes in both the short and free programs. She finished fifth, which is really impressive for her first championship. She's very strong. If she can manage the mental side, she can go far.
Skate Info Glace: On another topic, I understand you've built a strong connection with Loïcia Demougeot and Théo Lemercier.
Marco: They are really lovely. Since last year, we've had the opportunity to get to know them better, and they are very nice. Sometimes, they ask us for advice, which we appreciate. We enjoy it when younger couples seek our opinions, especially on how to handle certain situations. This year, we performed in galas in Lithuania with them, which allowed us to spend more time together. We also admire them on the ice. They have a lot of energy and are very strong skaters.
Charlène: We can see that they are a couple who work hard, are serious and are determined to fight for good results.
Solène Mathieu - Skate Info Glace
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