MILAN, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron delivered a commanding performance to top the ice dancing standings after rhythm dance at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games here on Monday.

France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and France's Guillaume Cizeron compete in the figure skating team event ice dance-rhythm dance during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 9, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Dancing to American singer Madonna's Vogue, the pair earned rounds of applause from the audience while executing each movement with precision and flair, scoring a competition-high 90.18 points. "We tried to skate as best as we could tonight and leave nothing on the table. We'll do the same for the free dance," said defending champion Cizeron, who retired at the end of 2024 alongside Gabriella Papadakis but returned to competition in 2025 with a new partner. After being crowned in the team event, American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates placed second in the individual rhythm dance, just 0.46 points behind the leaders. Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier sat in third place. Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu, the sole representatives of China in ice dancing, failed to advance to the free dance after finishing 21st among 23 pairs. The veteran duo returned to competition last year following a period away from the rink due to injuries, and their physical condition has yet to fully recover. "After being away from international competitions for several years, our preparation still isn't sufficient," said Wang, who has paired with Liu since 2005. "And the Olympic rink feels different from any other event, you get more excited and more eager to perform. When you're overly pumped, your edges and footwork can get unstable," she added. During the final section of their routine, Liu appeared visibly uncomfortable, with his lips turning pale. "About three hours before competing we had a practice session. Halfway through I had an asthma attack. I couldn't continue training, so I had to get off the ice and have treatment," Liu explained. Despite the physical challenges, the pair said that they were happy and satisfied with their performance. "We delivered everything we're capable of right now, we put all our skills out there and held nothing back," Liu said. They skated to two Cantonese songs from the 1990s -- Go Wild Alone and Flower Guardian. "Even though we're not among the top-scoring teams, we brought a different style and Chinese culture onto the Olympic ice. We truly enjoyed every second out there and felt honored to compete on this stage," said Wang. Top 20 pairs qualified for the free dance scheduled on Wednesday.