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Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen have been released by the Danish Skating Union to represent Canada. The team will have to wait a year since they last represented Denmark to skate internationally (i.e. Europeans - 20/01/2018). This is a translation of the Danish announcement:
"Ice dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sørensen, who have represented DEN since 2013, will represent Canada in the future. Danish Skating Union's board decided on Tuesday evening at an extraordinary meeting to back up the wishes of the dancers."
Laurence had tried and failed to get Danish citizenship and that prevented them from participating in the Olympics. When their names were not on the list of entries for Worlds there was speculation about their future plans.
A translation of the full statement from the Danish Skating Union:
Ice dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sørensen, who have represented Denmark since 2013, will represent Canada in the future. The Danish Skating Union's board decided on Tuesday evening at an extraordinary meeting to back up the wishes of the dancers. Thus, the Danish Skøyte Union loses a world-class ice-dancer pair, both on and off the ice, have been very good ambassadors for Denmark and had sporting results, such as No. 7 at the European Championships.
The decision to change representation comes in the light of the couple's disappointment not to attend the Winter Olympics, despite having qualified Denmark. Laurence is a Canadian citizen, Nikolaj is Danish, and since 2013 they represent Denmark internationally. The International Skating Union allows couples with two nationalities, as the nation that the couple wishes to represent prays the other nation to 'release' its runner. But at the Olympic Games, both athletes in a couple must have the same nationality. It knew the couple well, but no-one had imagined that in just five years they would be ranked No. 13 on the World Rankings and with an Olympic qualification.
"We have been very disappointed and sad that we can not participate in the ultimate competition with the couples we compete with throughout the season at the world's top," says Laurence. It goes without saying that Laurence and Nikolaj change the Danish Skating Union with Skate Canada. Laurence is a Canadian citizen, and the couple lives and trains in Montreal, where they also have their friends and Laurence's family. For both skaters it is very emotional to say goodbye to Dannebrog. Nikolaj is proud of his Viking background and being Danish, and Laurence is very pleased with Denmark and the Danes why she has learned Danish through an online course over the last year. "We are very grateful for the great support we have received in Denmark. Both of the many supporters and the Danish Skating Union, who have supported us all the way, "says Nikolaj.
"In Danish Skøyte Union we have been proud of the young couple who have developed explosively over the last five years, and in fact Denmark put the world map internationally. We are obviously sorry that they are now running under the Canadian flag, but we understand their desire to reach the ultimate goal. Of course, as top athletes who train more than 30 hours a week, they want to get the Olympic experience, "says President Ingelise Blangsted.
The International Skating Union requires a year's quarantine for international competitiveness when one pair changes nationality. Together with the coach team Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer, the couple has chosen to stop all international participation with immediate effect so that they have the opportunity to attend the World Cup next year.
Wow, thanks for that information! What a hard decision for them.
"At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.” (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis)
