Madison Chock and Evan Bates respond to Olympic ice dance judging questions

Madison Chock and Evan Bates answered questions about judging during the recent Olympic pairs ice dancing final. Chock called for judges to be vetted for the sake of transparency.

The pair were looking to win gold, but came second behind French duo Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.

A French judge gave Beaudry and Cizeron a higher score than Chock and Bates, allowing the French team to win gold over the Americans. The judging was a subject of controversy on social media, with some saying Chock and Bates should have received a higher score.

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Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete in the figure skating ice dance free skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Chock told CBS News, “It would “definitely be helpful if it was more understandable for viewers, just seeing more transparent judging and understanding…what’s really going on.

“I think it’s also important for the skaters that the judges are scrutinized and scrutinized to make sure they’re putting in their best performance as well,” she continued. “Because there is a lot at stake for the skaters when they give their best, and we deserve for the judges to give us their all as well and for it to be a fair and level playing field.”

Chock’s response came shortly after she sang a different tune when NBC News asked her about the judging.

“We’ve definitely been through a roller coaster of emotions, especially over the last 24 hours,” Chock told NBC News. “And I think what we’ll remember is how we felt right after our skates and how proud we were of what we accomplished and how we performed throughout the week. To have four great performances at the Olympics is no small feat, and we have a lot to be proud of.”

Bates told USA Today: “We felt like we had the best performance possible. It was our Olympic moment. It felt like a winning skate for us, and that’s what we’re going to hold on to.”

Bates also praised fans who spoke out in support of the American couple during the controversy.

“It means a lot that people are expressing their opinions on our behalf,” Bates said. “The way we skated and the way we approached the pursuit of these goals I hope resonated with people back home, even in our response. I hope that can also reflect the Olympic spirit.”

Chock and Bates followed the French couple by 0.46 of a point entering the free dance Wednesday night, and they were looking for their first Olympic medal in ice dancing with the hope that it would obviously be gold.

Their matador routine, dancing to a rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black,” drew cheers from the crowd and they finished with tears in their eyes.

They finished with 224.39 after scoring 134.67 in their free dance.

Chock and Bates won team gold twice after Team USA won Sunday, but they had to watch another routine to see if they could win gold when Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron took the ice.

But the judges decided the French duo had done enough to ultimately defeat the Americans.

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Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States react as their scores earned them the silver medal after competing in the figure skating ice dance free skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Beaudry and Cizeron earned a score of 135.64 in the free dance for a total of 225.82.

Chock and Bates were hoping to experience receiving their gold medals on the podium after a delayed receipt of their medals at the 2022 Games.

Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood over them with their gold medals.

It wasn’t until late January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of violating anti-doping rules, that Chock, Bates and the United States were declared legitimate 2022 gold medalists.

Valieva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine during a doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She has been suspended for four years and stripped of all her competitive results since that date.

Chock and Bates talked about what their message would be to Valieva today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media summit in October.

“I think it’s hard to imagine what a 15-year-old went through and in that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is to be an elite athlete as an adult, at 36 years old. And I think grace should be given to humans at all levels. And we can never really know the full picture, at least from our perspective. … I really don’t know what I would say to him.”

Chock added, “I would just wish him well, as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human beings just having our own human experience together. And no matter what anyone did or didn’t do and how it affected you, I think it’s important to remember that we are humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our only moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish that people have healthy, happy lives, full of people who love them.

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Silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States skate with their medals after competing in the figure skating ice dance free skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, February 11, 2026. (Francisco Seco/AP Photo)

Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the first Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented to them in a ceremony at the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024.

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