Olympics 2026: Inside Madison Chock, Evan Bates’ Scoring Controversy

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Madison Chock and Evan Bates’ path to an Olympics 2026 gold medal was supposed to be a smooth skate. 

Team USA’s skating duo was widely expected to win at the Milano Cortina games. However, their strong chance at a gold medal hit a small snag on February 9th when they finished behind French skaters Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron in the rhythm dance portion of the competition. The American pair had previously won three world championships in a row.

Chock and Bates began their performance with a dance set to songs by Lenny Kravitz, earning a score of 89.72. The French team followed, skating to Madonna’s “Vogue” and receiving a slightly higher score of 90.18.

Although the American pair was expected to win and had previously earned higher scores for the same performance, Chock shared in an interview with NBC that they were pleased with how they skated that night.

Chock and her husband, Bates, who she married in 2024, felt their individual performance was even stronger than when they competed as a team, where they scored 91.06.

For Bates, the most memorable part of the Olympics wasn’t a specific moment, but the overall feeling at the end – the hugs, smiles, and bows. It was the sense of having given their best performance and accepting that the final outcome wasn’t entirely within their control.

I was really impressed with how gracious the couple was, but even Scott Hamilton, who’s calling the games in 2026 and knows skating inside and out, seemed genuinely surprised when their scores were announced. He couldn’t hide his shock, honestly!

As he put it, “Didn’t see that one coming.”

The ice dancers will finish their competition with the free skate on February 11th, and the results will decide who wins the gold medal.

It’s particularly surprising to see Beaudry and Cizeron competing together, as they’ve only been a professional pair for a few years. Beaudry previously skated with Nikolaj Sørensen for Team Canada, but they ended their partnership in 2024, despite remaining in a relationship. This followed allegations of sexual assault against Sørensen, which he denies. He was initially suspended by Canada’s Office of Sport Integrity, but that suspension was overturned in June 2025; the case is still ongoing.

After winning Olympic gold with Gabriella Papadakis in 2022, Cizeron decided to come out of retirement and compete again in the 2026 games. However, in January, Papadakis revealed in her memoir, So As Not To Disappear, that Cizeron had been a partner who was controlling, demanding, and overly critical.

Just before the book came out, Cizeron publicly refuted Papadakis’ claims. He also expressed doubts about why Papadakis chose to release it so close to the start of the Milano Cortina Games.

In a statement to ESPN, he said he’s deeply admired Gabriella Papadakis for over 20 years and always considered her a true teammate. Even though their connection has weakened over time, he emphasized their relationship has always been built on equal partnership and shared success, with both of them supporting each other.

In the Netflix documentary Glitter and Gold, retired U.S. skater Adam Rippon described the partnership between Cizeron and Beaudry as having a strangely unsettling vibe. He suggested that viewers might not immediately be inclined to support them.

For more big moments from Olympics 2026, keep reading…

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto is surprised by her score in the women’s singles free skating team event.

Speedskater Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands cried tears of joy after discovering she had broken the Olympic record in the women’s 1,000-meter race.

China’s Eileen Gu competes in the women’s freestyle slopestyle—which earned her a silver medal.

Skater Maxim Naumov of the U.S. clutches a photo of his deceased parents after his performance in the men’s singles short program.

A composite image shows off the many tricks seen in the women’s freestyle slopestyle. 

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I just loved seeing Polish figure skater Ekaterina Kurakova celebrate her short program with a fun nod to her country! She held up an adorable plush pierogi – it’s basically Poland’s national dish, and such a sweet way to share a piece of her culture with everyone. It was a really charming moment with her teammates!

No, it’s Team Austria’s ski jumper Julia Muehlbacher.

Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp of Austria zoom by during the luge women’s doubles.

The figure skating team who won the medal took a selfie with a special Olympic Edition Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 while celebrating on the podium.

Oh my gosh, I just saw photos of Lindsey Vonn training, and I’m seriously blown away! After that awful crash and ACL tear, to see her out there, looking so focused and determined… it’s incredible! She’s such a beast, pushing herself even after something that serious. I’m so inspired!

Alysa Liu, representing the United States, performs a Biellmann spin during her short program in the women’s single skating competition.

Jennifer Dodds of Team Great Britain showed a very tense reaction during the curling mixed doubles round robin match against South Korea.

Snoop Dogg,serving as an Olympics correspondent for NBC, tries his hand at curling at a practice.

Evan Bates and Madison Chock, both U.S. figure skaters and a couple in real life, seem perfectly in sync when they perform their rhythm dance.

Oh my gosh, I was completely glued to the screen watching Laila Edwards – seriously, the first Black woman to play hockey for the U.S. in the Olympics! – go head-to-head with Sara Cajanova during the USA vs. Czech Republic game. It was such a powerful moment, seeing Laila out there representing everyone. I couldn’t take my eyes off her!

During the men’s snowboard big air qualifying round, Australian snowboarder Valentino Guseli embraced Czech competitor Jakub Hrones.

Bulgarian ski jumper Vladimir Zografski hits the brakes during a training session.

Korey Dropkin, an American curler, cheered with excitement after his team won against Switzerland in a mixed doubles curling match.

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2026-02-11 20:47