French ice dancer
Natacha Lagouge (born 12 March 2000) is a French ice dancer. With her skating partner, Arnaud Caffa, she is the 2022 CS Ice Challenge silver medalist, 2022 International Challenge Cup champion, and 2023 World University Games bronze medalist.
With her former partner, Corentin Rahier, she is the 2017 JGP Austria bronze medalist and 2017 French national junior champion. They finished within the top eight at the 2018 World Junior Championships.
Personal life
Lagouge was born on 12 March 2000 in Strasbourg, France. She holds French and Russian citizenship.[1] Her mother is from Russia.[2]
Career
Early years
Lagouge began learning to skate in 2003.[1] She started her competitive career in ladies' singles. She appeared on the advanced novice level in 2011 and moved up to the junior level by the 2014–2015 season. During her singles career, she spent some time training in Russia.[2]
2015–16 season
In 2015, Lagouge began considering switching to ice dancing. Her family contacted Muriel Zazoui, who suggested Corentin Rahier as a potential partner. After a successful tryout, the skaters decided to train together in Lyon.[2] They placed 7th at the French Junior Championships in February 2016.
2016–17 season
Lagouge/Rahier received two ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments; they placed 6th in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France, and 4th in Ljubljana, Slovenia. They were awarded the junior silver medal at the NRW Trophy and gold at the French Junior Championships. They placed 8th in the short dance, 11th in the free dance, and 11th overall at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei, Taiwan.
2017–18 season
In September 2017, Lagouge/Rahier won the bronze medal at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Austria. They withdrew from JGP Croatia; Lagouge fractured her hand during a practice before the free dance and returned to Lyon for an operation.[2]
2018–19 season
Rahier retired from the sport in November 2018, leaving Lagouge without a partner. Arnaud Caffa soon contacted her. After trying out together in Lyon in late November and again in Paris in December 2018, he moved to Lyon at the end of January 2019 to begin their partnership.[3]
2019–20 season
Lagouge/Caffa made their competitive debut in September 2019, placing tenth at the 2019 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial in Slovakia. In November, they won bronze at the Open d'Andorra and placed sixth at the Bosphorus Cup in Turkey. They were sixth at the French Championships.
2020–21 season
Many events were cancelled in the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lagouge/Caffa competed at only one international event, the 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where they placed fourth. They were coached by Olivier Schoenfelder, Muriel Zazoui, Marien de la Asuncion, Neil Brown, and Emi Hirai in Lyon, France.[3]
2021–22 season
Lagouge/Caffa decided to train under Maurizio Margaglio and Neil Brown in Helsinki, Finland.[4]
In November, they took silver at the 2021 NRW Trophy in Germany and finished tenth at the 2021 CS Warsaw Cup in Poland. They placed fifth at the French Championships in December. In February, they won gold at the International Challenge Cup in the Netherlands.
2022–23 season
Lagouge/Caffa won silver at the Britannia Cup in August, bronze at the Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur in October, and silver at the 2022 CS Ice Challenge in November. They made their Grand Prix debut at the 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo in Finland, placing 10th.[5]
At the 2023 French Championships, the duo would finish fourth. Selected to compete at the 2023 Winter World University Games, Lagouge/Caffa won the bronze medal. They would then end their season with another bronze medal at the 2023 Bavarian Open.[5]
2023–24 season
Lagouge/Caffa started the season by finishing eleventh at the 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They then won the bronze medal at the 2023 Master's de Patinage. Going on to compete at the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy and the 2023 Mezzaluna Cup, the duo finished seventh and third, respectively.[5]
Selected to compete at the 2023 Grand Prix de France, Lagouge/Caffa finished tenth. They then finished fifth at the 2024 French Championships before closing their season with a silver medal win at the 2024 Bavarian Open.[5]
2024–25 season
Beginning their season at the 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy, Lagouge/Caffa finished in fourth place. They went on to finish fourth at the 2024 Master's de Patinage before finishing fifth at the 2024 CS Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur.[5]
In early November, the team competed at the 2024 Grand Prix de France, where they finished eighth.[5]
Programs
With Caffa
With Rahier
| Season
|
Short dance
|
Free dance
|
2017–2018
[1][2]
|
- Cha Cha: Medley - Cafe Latino
- Rhumba: Frío Sin Ti
performed by Navajita Plateá ft. Buika
- Samba: Samba Beach
performed by Danny Davis, Peter Weitz
|
|
2016–2017
[11]
|
|
|
Competitive highlights
GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
Ice dancing with Caffa
Ice dancing with Rahier
Women's singles
Detailed results
Ice dance with Arnaud Caffa
References
External links
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