Evgenia Lopareva

Lopareva began learning how to skate as a four-year-old in 2004.[1] She competed with her first partner, Alexey Karpushov, for five seasons. The two debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series in September 2016, placing fourth in Ostrava, Czech Republic. They had the same overall result at 2018 JGP Austria but did not compete again for the rest of the season. The team ended their partnership before the start of the 2018–19 figure skating season.[2]

Before the start of the 2018–19 season, Lopareva teamed up with French ice dancer Geoffrey Brissaud to compete for France. The new team received two international assignments - the 2019 Egna Dance Trophy, where they took silver in the junior division, and the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where they placed tenth.[3]

Lopareva/Brissaud made their senior international debut in September at their first assignment of the 2019–20 season, the 2019 CS Nepela Memorial Trophy. Here, the team placed eighth in the rhythm dance but made a comeback in the free dance (fourth) to finish sixth overall. The pair also set new personal bests in all three segments at the event.[3]

At their next Challenger Series assignment, 2019 CS Warsaw Cup, Lopareva/Brissaud again set another personal best in the rhythm dance. After taking the bronze medal at the senior French championships, they competed at the European Championships for the first time, placing fifteenth.[4]

Lopareva/Brissaud were scheduled to make their Grand Prix debut at the 2020 Internationaux de France, but the event was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] They made their World Championship debut at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, placing seventeenth.[6] Their placement combined with the sixteenth-place finish of the other French dance team competing at the championships qualified a single berth for France at the 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as the following year's world championships.[7]

Lopareva/Brissaud made their seasonal Challenger debut at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, placing eighth.[8] They were initially assigned to make their Grand Prix debut at the 2021 Cup of China, but following its cancellation, they were reassigned to the 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia.[9] They placed sixth at the event, setting new personal bests in the free dance and total score.[10] They went on to finish in fourth place at the 2021 Internationaux de France, setting new personal bests in the rhythm dance and total score. Lopareva said they were "very happy with the result" of their first Grand Prix season.[11]

After winning a silver medal at the International Cup of Nice, Lopareva/Brissaud won their second consecutive national silver medal.[3] They were assigned to the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, where they finished ninth.[12]

Lopareva/Brissaud won the silver medal at the 2022 CS Budapest Trophy in their first international appearance of the season.[3] With Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron sitting out at least the season, Lopareva/Brissaud, were the most senior French team assigned to compete at the 2022 Grand Prix de France, where they won the bronze medal, their first on the Grand Prix.[13] They finished fifth at the 2022 NHK Trophy.[14]

At the French championships in Rouen, Lopareva/Brissaud won the national title for the first time in their career.[15] At the 2023 European Championships in Espoo, they finished sixth in the rhythm dance, missing the final flight of the free dance by 0.42 behind Czechs Taschlerová/Taschler.[16] They overtook the Czechs in the free dance, finishing fifth overall.[17] They finished twelfth at the 2023 World Championships.[3] Lopareva/Brissaud then joined Team France for the 2023 World Team Trophy, finishing fifth in the rhythm dance and fourth in the free dance.[18][19] Team France finished in fifth place.[20]

For the 1980s-themed rhythm dance, Lopareva and Brissaud desired to skate to a less conventional choice, and took their coach's recommendation of the work of French synth-pop singer Mylène Farmer. Their free program was a "biographical" story using the music of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, with Brissaud playing Rachmaninoff and Lopareva his "muse and inspiration."[21]

Lopareva/Brissaud began the season at the 2023 CS Autumn Classic International, winning the silver medal. They were invited to participate in the Shanghai Trophy, earning a second silver medal.[3] They started on the Grand Prix at the 2023 Skate America, where they finished third in the rhythm dance, only 0.60 points behind Canadian training mates Lajoie/Lagha.[22] They were third in the free dance as well, albeit slightly further behind second-place, and won the bronze medal. Lopareva called the result "very, very special" given the strong field.[21]