Story perspectives

Petition Calls for Investigation into Skating Judging Controversy

2/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

The International Skating Union defended the Milan Cortina judging after judge Jezabel Dabouis (French) favored Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron over Madison Chock and Evan Bates by nearly eight points.
A petition with nearly 17,000 signatures calls for an investigation.
Chock urged transparency and vetting of judges to ensure fairness.
The ISU says its system includes review mechanisms and is testing artificial intelligence (AI) for scoring consistency.

History

Historical Context

The 2002 Winter Olympics figure skating scandal, marked by allegations of judging bias, led to significant reforms in the sport. Following the controversy, the International Skating Union replaced the outdated 6.0 scoring system with the ISU Judging System in 2004, enhancing transparency and fairness. Today, similar concerns over judging integrity have resurfaced, as a recent petition demanding accountability has garnered nearly 17,000 signatures.

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Story summary

The International Skating Union defended the Milan Cortina judging after judge Jezabel Dabouis (French) favored Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron over Madison Chock and Evan Bates by nearly eight points.
A petition with nearly 17,000 signatures calls for an investigation.
Chock urged transparency and vetting of judges to ensure fairness.
The ISU says its system includes review mechanisms and is testing artificial intelligence (AI) for scoring consistency.

1 / 2