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Chock and Bates Win Silver, Question Judges' Scoring

2/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Madison Chock and Evan Bates, United States ice dancing pair, won a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing 0.43 points behind Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
They criticized French judge Jezabel Dabouis for scoring them lower.
The International Skating Union defended scoring, saying variations among judges are normal.
Earlier in the Olympics, Chock and Bates won a gold medal in team figure skating.

History

Historical Context

The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were marred by a judging scandal in figure skating, where a French judge was implicated in bribery, leading to the Canadian pair of Jamie Salé and David Pelletier being awarded a gold medal alongside the Russian team. This controversy prompted the International Skating Union to review its judging practices, a concern echoed by ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates in 2026.

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Story summary

Madison Chock and Evan Bates, United States ice dancing pair, won a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing 0.43 points behind Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
They criticized French judge Jezabel Dabouis for scoring them lower.
The International Skating Union defended scoring, saying variations among judges are normal.
Earlier in the Olympics, Chock and Bates won a gold medal in team figure skating.

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