News and updates à la Française, part quatre

[cholla]

Kiddo-Adam's version of Take Five in 2016

Article/interview on/of Adam on Passion Patinage FB (in French)

Interview on Skate Info Glace (in English)

As we were the only media on site (except for a local info website that hasn't published anything yet AFAIK), I think these were the only interviews Adam gave in Louviers.

 

[cholla]

Xposting from the K&C Masters thread

Articles in English @ Patinage Magazine

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

 

[Sylvia]

Adam’s post-Masters post (he reveals that this summer he had a stress fracture in his left ankle):

Adam Siao on Instagram: "Masters 2026 🇫🇷 Here is the beginning of the season, if anyone was expecting me to do a great performance well I’m sorry to everyone for that, it wasn’t what I had planned 😅 So I would like to clarify why I wasn’t at the lev

1,916 likes, 28 comments - adam.siao on September 2, 2026: "Masters 2026 🇫🇷 Here is the beginning of the season, if anyone was expecting me to do a great performance well I’m sorry to everyone for that, it wasn’t what I had planned 😅 So I would like to clarify why I wasn’t at the level...

www.instagram.com

ETA, ICYMI:

Interview on Skate Info Glace (in English)

"Adam Siao Him Fa won the Masters in Louviers, although not without difficulties. The French skater remains calm about it: after injuring his ankle in April, he knew he would arrive at this first competition of the season without being fully ready. The main goal was to rediscover the feeling of competition and continue the work on his new programs."

 

[Sylvia]

Geoffrey Brissaud asks (in French) Evgeniia Lopareva (replies in English) about their debut at the Masters:

Geoffrey Brissaud on Instagram: "EP.01 - THE SEASON The first test. After months of Building a Program, the next chapter begins. The programs are no longer just ideas created in Montréal, they are now entering the rhythm of competition. This first

351 likes, 3 comments - geoffrey_brissaud on September 2, 2026: "EP.01 - THE SEASON The first test. After months of Building a Program, the next chapter begins. The programs are no longer just ideas created in Montréal, they are now entering the rhythm of competition. This first event gave us...

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

July 24:

The Kovalevs are looking for a new training center.

Today (Aug. 24):

camille on Instagram: "La première compétition de la saison arrive dans quelques jours, et nous tenions à remercier toutes les personnes qui nous ont permis, d’une manière ou d’une autre, de nous préparer pour ces Masters. Le club de danse d'Angers

139 likes, 7 comments - cam_on_ice on August 24, 2026: "La première compétition de la saison arrive dans quelques jours, et nous tenions à remercier toutes les personnes qui nous ont permis, d’une manière ou d’une autre, de nous préparer pour ces Masters. Le club de danse d'Angers @teamadsg ...

www.instagram.com

"We won’t be staying at ASGA this season. We can’t say more yet, but we’ll soon share with you what will be next."

Massot and the Kovalevs are relocating to Japan - from the Japanese news thread:

- Bruno Massot will stay in Japan and train junior-level pairs teams (five to six pairs) at the Kanku Ice Arena in Osaka from September 2026 to March 2030. He will also accompany the teams to competitions.

- Camille and Pavel Kovalev will also join as trainers.

【発表コメ全文】日本連盟がカップル競技の育成プログラム開始　五輪金マソ氏を招へい - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ・プレミアム

日本スケート連盟の竹内洋輔フィギュア強化部長が６日、チャレンジャー・シリーズ（CS）木下グループ杯の大会期間中に取材に応じ、９月からペアとアイスダンスの育成プログラムを始めると発表しました。中高生年代から海外で活動する選手の経済的、精神的な負担を軽減するため、海外からコーチを招いて国内で育成。ペアでは18年平昌五輪金メダリストのブルーノ・マソ氏が、30年３月まで関空アイスアリーナを拠点に指導します。竹内強化部長とマソ氏のコメントを全文でお届けします。 - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）。

www.nikkansports.com

【フィギュア】平昌五輪金のマソ氏が日本のペアを育成「この冒険を始められることがうれしい」 - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ

日本スケート連盟の竹内洋輔フィギュア強化部長が6日、都内で取材に応じ、ペアとアイスダンスの育成プログラムを9月から始めると明らかにした。中高生年代から海外で活… - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）

www.nikkansports.com

In pairs skating, Bruno Massot, the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic gold medalist, will be coaching at the Kansai International Airport Ice Arena, the national training center, until March 2030. "I am very happy to be able to start this adventure. I love the Japanese people and Japan as a country," he said, expressing his delight.

 

[spin2win]

I guess nowhere else in France had funding or a solution for them, that's unfortunate. Nice opportunity for them

 

[Karen-W]

I guess nowhere else in France had funding or a solution for them, that's unfortunate. Nice opportunity for them

Yes, it is. I also expect they will continue competing at least this season. Their GPs are GPdF and NHK. They also nearly lost to Faula/Belle at French Masters, so there's no guarantee they'll win French Nats in December or have any ISU Championship assignments this winter.

 

[Sylvia]

Camille Kovalev's message in French & English:

camille on Instagram: "🇫🇷 Nouveau chapitre : Après un long moment d’attente et de questionnement, voici enfin la réponse que vous attendiez peut-être. C’est officiel : nous rejoignons le club de Nantes pour cette saison. Et avec Bruno qui s’install

20 likes, 2 comments - cam_on_ice on September 7, 2026: "🇫🇷 Nouveau chapitre : Après un long moment d’attente et de questionnement, voici enfin la réponse que vous attendiez peut-être. C’est officiel : nous rejoignons le club de Nantes pour cette saison. Et avec Bruno qui s’installe désormais...

www.instagram.com

New chapter :
After a long period of waiting and uncertainty, here is finally the answer you’ve been maybe expecting.
It’s official: we’re joining the Nantes club for this season.
And with Bruno now settling in Izumi-Sano, we’ll have the chance to train several times throughout the year here in Japan as well .
A huge thank you to the Japanese federation for making this possible : allowing us to keep training with Bruno, giving us inspiring training partners, and welcoming us here in Japan even though we do not represent their country.
Our two training bases are now set.
The season truly begins for us.
Next competition: Dundee, in October.

 

[Sylvia]

Aymoz shared his competition calendar, starting with ISU CS Budapest Trophy, Oct. 15-18:

Kévin Aymoz on Instagram: "PREMIÈRE PARTIE DE SAISON 👀⛸️ Voici où vous pourrez me retrouver et me suivre pour cette première partie de saison ✨ 🇭🇺 BUDAPEST TROPHY — Challenger Series 🇨🇦 SKATE CANADA — Grand Prix 🇯🇵 NHK TROPHY — Grand Prix 🇫🇷 CHAMPI

2,161 likes, 21 comments - kevin_aymoz on September 7, 2026: "PREMIÈRE PARTIE DE SAISON 👀⛸️ Voici où vous pourrez me retrouver et me suivre pour cette première partie de saison ✨ 🇭🇺 BUDAPEST TROPHY — Challenger Series 🇨🇦 SKATE CANADA — Grand Prix 🇯🇵 NHK TROPHY — Grand Prix 🇫🇷 CHAMPIONNATS DE...

www.instagram.com

 

[Nmsis]

I guess nowhere else in France had funding or a solution for them, that's unfortunate. Nice opportunity for them

Right now, there are 3 french centers who are training pairs.

Dammarie-lès-Lys coached by Emilie Télémaque. She has :

• Romane Télémaque (16) and Lucas Coulon (20)
• Chiara Michaela Pazienza (17) and Jean Médard (19) which is a new pair and can be seen training on their club's Instagram
• Naomie Ismaili (13) and Léo Rouvrais (16)

Bercy coached by Claude Péri. She has :

• Aurélie Faula (26) and Théo Belle (24)
• Clélia Liget-Latus (16) and Allan Daniel Fisher (19)
• Louise Ehrard (22) and Matthis Pellegris (22)
• Vouillamoz (22) / Bouvard (24) who are skating for Switzerland

Champigny coached by Margaux Jouvin and Mehdi Bouzzine. They have :

• Abby Huo (19) and Axel Ahmed (22), a brand new couple
• Sarah Trancoso (18) and Ethan Meteau (20)

So outside of Angers, there are training centers for french pairs. Going to Japan is a choice and not a cheaper one.

I have the utmost respect for coaches like Barbara Piton, Karine Arribert, Emilie Télémaque who spent years discreetly building their project from scratch (unfortunatly, Claude Péri accepted years ago to be gobbled / sidelined by the Gailhaguet system and lost the capacity to build her own project for quite some time ; she might still recover). Locally, there is no shortcut for the fundamental/development work they are doing, whatever a coach's name is. And its not easy to go back to the blackboard when you've had quite the career and there are fancier choices.

Edit : training in Nantes is ... a choice. Maybe for the future ? We'll see ...

 

[allezfred]

Going to Japan is a choice and not a cheaper one.

With the current exchange rate, € will go significantly further in Japan than they will right now anywhere in Western Europe. The idea of Japan being an expensive country is about 30 years out of date.

 

[Nmsis]

With the current exchange rate, € will go significantly further in Japan than they will right now anywhere in Western Europe. The idea of Japan being an expensive country is about 30 years out of date.

That's a matter of perspective. Yes, Japan is kind of cheap for foreigners nowadays. But visas are much harder to get. Moving to Japan, finding a housing, getting local services working, that's an investment hard to recoup in a short term horizon. And let's get real, the Kov's horizon is not 4 years away. Them going a few times in Japan for a season seems more realistic.

Things might make more sense for Massot if he intends to stay for some time, but in reverse, he might feel the financial pain, travelling back to Europe.

 

[allezfred]

But visas are much harder to get.

Well, a visa to live in any country requires to have all your documentation in order. As someone who has been through the process of applying to live in Japan, it’s fairly straightforward once you have everything you need.

Moving to Japan, finding a housing, getting local services working, that's an investment hard to recoup in a short term horizon.

Equally applicable to moving to any country.

Things might make more sense for Massot if he intends to stay for some time, but in reverse, he might feel the financial pain, travelling back to Europe.

Well, he has a four year contract. I imagine the JSF must have financially made it worth his while.

 

[cholla]

Interview with Philippe Candeloro, new President of FFSG (in English)

 

[marshallpond]

Where does Laurent Depouilly coach now? After the Kovalev team left him, does he have another pair team?

​

 

[Nmsis]

Where does Laurent Depouilly coach now?

He coaches in the old rink of Courbevoie, North West of Paris. He has been there for years, since his return to France. (He coached for long in Villenave d'Ornon, near Bordeaux, where he coached all the Siao Him Fa siblings with his wife; the rink was closed shortly after his return from his 2nd and last coaching of Joubert and IIRC he moved to South Africa for a time. Then Courbevoie if I'm not mistaken. (he didn't last long in Angers)

After the Kovalev team left him, does he have another pair team?

As far as the CSNPA's lists show at the begining of this season, no.

He coaches a young man, Elian Thomann, 15yo, who is one of the fed's hopes.
But Elian had trouble with his health the last 2 seasons (and Depouilly moved around so it was probably not easy for him).

 

[marshallpond]

Met Laurent when he and his wife moved to the US, and he occasionally worked with my kids. After he moved back to France, my kids and I met him again in the UK when he was in a competition with the Kovalevs and we had a nice long chat.

 

[spin2win]

Ehrhard/Pellegris have announced their split: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdRyeDXtev4/

 

[Sylvia]

Ehrhard/Pellegris' ISU bio: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00112916.htm

They placed 3rd of 4 Senior Pairs at the French Masters in late August 2026: https://ffsportsdeglace.fr/resultats/2026-2027/MASTERS26/CAT004RS.htm

ETA that E/P's names were crossed out from Finlandia Trophy on the ISU GP Pairs grid on Sept. 10.

FFSG's June 16th Sélections ISU Grand Prix 2026 was copied out here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...çaise-part-quatre.107545/page-30#post-6940240

Francois PITOT is the 3rd man for Grand Prix de France.

 

[denshagar]

Ehrhard/Pellegris' ISU bio: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00112916.htm

They placed 3rd of 4 Senior Pairs at the French Masters in late August 2026: https://ffsportsdeglace.fr/resultats/2026-2027/MASTERS26/CAT004RS.htm

ETA that E/P's names were crossed out of Finlandia Trophy on the ISU GP Pairs grid on Sept. 10.

That's a pity. I wonder what triggered their separation so close to the start of the season.