How Marriage Changed Madison Chock, Evan Bates’ on-Ice Partnership

Evan Bates and Madison Chock are dancing through a new chapter outside of the rink.

After winning the World Championship two years in a row, in 2023 and 2024, the ice dancing duo celebrated a personal milestone: they got married after being together for seven years.

Madison, 33, shared with TopMob that getting married has strengthened her and her partner’s dedication to both their relationship and their shared passion. They already had a strong connection through skating, but marriage has made them true partners, supporting each other in everything they do, both on and off the ice.

Oh my gosh, she said it! It’s EVERYTHING. Basically, now that they’re husband and wife, she feels like their connection, that amazing bond, is just going to keep growing and be a part of absolutely everything they do, forever. I’m not crying, you are! It’s just…perfect. They’re so in love, and it’s going to be with them through all of life’s adventures. I just KNOW it!

Just months after confirming their relationship, the pair quickly demonstrated that it had actually made them an even more formidable team, winning their third World Championship in a row.

Evan and Madi have been a prominent pair in U.S. Figure Skating for more than ten years. They first became ice dancing partners in 2011, and continue to achieve new goals together. The 2026 Milano Cortina Games will be their fourth Olympics, but special this time—they’ll be competing as a married couple, something they deeply cherish.

“It’s a dream come true to represent our country at the Olympics again,” said 36-year-old Evan. “This is something we’ve worked incredibly hard for since childhood, and we’re thrilled to be here.”

As a long-time fan, I wasn’t at all surprised to see them really pulling out all the stops in their Olympic preparations, especially since the U.S. Championships were happening just a few weeks beforehand. They’re clearly leaving no stone unturned!

I’ve been following everything he’s doing, and honestly, you can just feel the dedication! He keeps saying they’re working incredibly hard, putting in so many hours, but it’s amazing because he always emphasizes how thankful they are for every single day and just getting the chance to do what they love. It’s so inspiring!

Madi and Evan, who won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, aren’t the only ones working hard! They have two furry training partners—their dogs, Stella, a 13-year-old, and Henry, who is 9.

She explained that they always bring their pets along when they go to activities like ice skating, the gym, and Pilates – which they playfully refer to as “Paw-lates” because the animals seem to enjoy it so much. She added that they are wonderful companions.

That’s why she and Evan were excited to work with Nulo pet food on their ‘Fuel Incredible’ campaign.

Madi explained to TopMob that they prioritize peak performance in their own lives and want the same high level of activity and well-being for their dogs, simply because they care about them deeply.

With such a demanding training schedule, Stella and Henry provide crucial support that really helps the team succeed.

“They’re a huge emotional boost for us,” Evan said. “The demanding schedule can be really draining, but having them around constantly helps. As soon as we’re done skating and let them out of their carriers in the locker room, they’re running around, happy to see everyone at the rink.”

He explained that they simply love having their dogs with them constantly, cherishing the companionship they provide. Balancing work and an active lifestyle is important to them, and their dogs are integral to that balance, so they bring them to the rink every day.

With the 2026 Olympics on the horizon, let’s revisit some memorable ice skaters and find out what they’ve been doing since their competitive days.

A two-time Olympian, Hamilton won a gold medal in Sarajevo in 1984, becoming the first American man to do so since David Jenkins in 1960. He later became a four-time World Champion and enjoyed a successful career as a professional skater, eventually working as a commentator for CBS and NBC for many years.

Lewis Hamilton has openly discussed his health struggles, including overcoming testicular cancer after being diagnosed in 1997. He said surviving cancer made him feel capable of facing any challenge. He also received treatment for a non-cancerous brain tumor that returned.

You know, throughout my life, I’ve faced challenges, but I’ve always found a way to bounce back. I often think about my time skating – you fall a lot! It really teaches you resilience. That’s why I always say, hang in there when things get tough. Trust me, something amazing is waiting for you on the other side.

Hamilton and his wife, Tracie, have four children, including two they adopted from Haiti in 2014.

He kept the costume he wore when he won the gold medal and displayed it on NBC Sports’ “Olympic Ice” from his home in Tennessee while the Beijing Games were happening.

Brian Boitano’s gold medal performance at the 1988 Calgary Olympics was historic. He not only won the gold, but became the first Olympic skater to successfully land all six types of triple jumps. He had previously achieved this same feat at the 1983 World Championships, making him a pioneer in the sport. His iconic skates, adorned with the American flag, are now displayed in the National Museum of American History.

Brian Boitano, a California native, has remained a recognizable figure in pop culture for decades. He won an Emmy for his performance in the 1990 ice skating special Carmen on Ice. He also received a memorable mention in the 1999 South Park movie, Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which significantly boosted his profile. Later, he hosted the Food Network show What Would Brian Boitano Make? and made appearances in the films Ice Princess and Blades of Glory.

When President Barack Obama appointed him to the U.S. delegation for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, he publicly came out as gay. He explained to reporters that while he hadn’t originally intended to make such a public announcement, he was motivated to do so in response to anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed in Russia.

Boitano explained in a statement that he felt it was necessary to be open about this personal aspect of his life in order to represent the United States. He sees participating in the Russia games as a significant opportunity and a crucial platform for sharing his story.

He’s still the person they call on for major events, and he helped with NBC Sports’ coverage of the Olympics in Beijing.

The 1992 Olympic gold medalist initially gained recognition as a pairs skater. They partnered with Rudy Galindo to win the U.S. Junior Championships in 1986 and the World Junior Championships in 1988.

Competing on her own proved to be the right decision, a fact highlighted by her success at the Albertville Olympics. Following her win, Yamaguchi spent years performing as a professional skater and later established the Always Dream foundation. This organization supports after-school programs and provides vital educational resources for children in need.

She’s had a busy career beyond her athletic achievements! She’s appeared in several TV shows and movies, written a popular children’s book, put out a fitness video, and even launched her own clothing line. Plus, in 2006, she made history as the first Olympic figure skating champion to win Dancing With the Stars.

Cammi Yamaguchi has been married to former hockey player Bret Hedican since 2000. They met in a charming way at the 1992 Olympics, where both represented Team USA, and have two daughters together.

Nancy Kerrigan had previously won a bronze medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics. However, she became widely known after a shocking attack just before the 1994 U.S. Championship in Detroit, where she was struck in the knee. The attack was orchestrated by the ex-husband of her fellow skater, Tonya Harding.

Following my silver medal win at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, things got pretty crazy! Suddenly I was doing endorsements, even hosting Saturday Night Live – it was a real whirlwind of exciting opportunities. Of course, there were also some funny moments, like when a hot mic picked up my honest opinion about the Walt Disney World Parade – let’s just say I found it a little too cheerful!

As someone who’s always been fascinated by performance and personal growth, I’ve followed Kristi Kerrigan’s career for years. After a fantastic professional skating career, she really blossomed as a speaker and media personality – you probably recognize her from countless TV appearances! She even shared her insights in her book, Artistry on Ice. More recently, she wowed audiences on Dancing With the Stars, finishing a very respectable sixth place in the spring of 2017. It’s inspiring to see someone transition their talents so successfully!

While competing on the ballroom show Dancing with the Stars, Kerrigan revealed she experienced six miscarriages over eight years after having her first child, Matthew, in 1996. She and her husband, Jerry Solomon, later welcomed their son, Brian, in 2005 with the help of IVF, and their daughter, Nicole, in 2008. Kerrigan shared that building their family was a struggle, and she wanted to convey a message of perseverance to her children through her dancing: ‘Never give up…Keep trying.’

As the 2022 Beijing Olympics approached, Kerrigan spoke with NewsNation’s Morning in America about a new NFT portrait depicting her as a superhero – a very current trend. She shared that with her children competing in gymnastics and ballet, she’s now even more grateful for the support her own parents gave her. “It takes a team to reach the top,” she explained. “You might be performing alone, but someone is always behind the scenes driving you, organizing things, and working incredibly hard. Being a parent myself, I now truly appreciate everything my parents did for me.”

Tonya Harding wasn’t widely loved when she qualified for her second Olympics in 1994, and she’s not considered a hero now. However, looking back and with the release of the 2017 film I, Tonya, people no longer see her as simply a villain.

Just a month after winning the U.S. championship, her performance at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics was underwhelming, finishing in eighth place after her skate lace broke during her long program. Things became even more difficult in June when she lost her national title. An investigation into the attack on Nancy Kerrigan revealed that Tonya Harding’s ex-husband and others had planned the assault to prevent Kerrigan from competing in the Olympics. Harding maintained she didn’t learn about the plot until after it happened.

People often made fun of Harding. For years, she was seen as a joke and seemed to play into that image, with actions like creating a sex tape, participating in celebrity boxing, and getting arrested for assaulting her boyfriend. She admitted guilt and served a brief jail sentence of three days.

I’ve noticed a real shift in how people view Tonya Harding, and I think Margot Robbie’s incredible performance in the biopic really helped. It felt like a weight lifted, allowing people to see beyond the headlines. And it’s been wonderful to watch Tonya thrive! She was a fantastic competitor on Dancing With the Stars back in 2018, placing third, and then totally surprised everyone by winning Worst Cooks in America in 2019. What a sweetheart – she immediately donated the $250,000 prize to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It just shows you, people are capable of amazing things and deserve a second look.

She’s been married to third husband Joseph Price since 2010 and is mom to son Gordon, born in 2011.

Despite never winning Olympic gold – she earned silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002, and had to withdraw from the 2006 Games due to injury – this nine-time U.S. champion (sharing the record with 1930s Olympian Maribel Vinson) remains an iconic figure in American figure skating.

Following the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, while on the Champions on Ice Tour – where she was the highest-paid performer, earning $1 million and receiving enthusiastic applause – Michelle Kwan described the audience’s response to her in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. She explained that their support felt like encouragement, not sympathy. They seemed to be saying, ‘It’s okay that things aren’t perfect,’ and acknowledged that setbacks are a normal part of life. Kwan felt they understood that sometimes things don’t go as planned, and you just have to accept it and keep moving forward.

Looking back after almost twenty years, she told People magazine in 2021 that representing her country was an incredible experience – truly unlike anything else.

In 2016 and 2020, Kwan supported Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden’s campaigns as a public spokesperson. She also produced a 2021 YouTube event called Recipe for Change, which brought together Asian-American chefs, celebrities, and activists. The event aimed to highlight the contributions of Asian cultures and raise awareness about the increase in hate crimes targeting Asian communities.

Oh my gosh, you guys, things are amazing right now! First, President Biden nominated my idol, Kwan, to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Belize – can you believe it?! And just last month, she announced she had a baby girl, a beautiful daughter named Kalista Belle Kwan! I’m seriously bursting with happiness for her – it’s like a dream come true!

Tara Lipinski, the 1998 Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, is currently providing commentary at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She’s working alongside fellow commentator Johnny Weir, and both joined NBC Sports in 2013.

In a 2018 interview with GQ, she described meeting Weir as finding a soul mate later in life, saying she couldn’t picture her life without him.

In 1997, at just 14 years old, Lipinski became the youngest person to ever win the world championship. A year later, at the Nagano Olympics at age 15, she made history again by winning the gold medal, becoming the youngest Olympic figure skating champion. She defeated all competitors, including her American teammate Michelle Kwan, who finished in second place.

She remembered wanting to skate the way she’d trained, explaining to TopMob News before the Beijing Games that’s what every skater dreams of. She recalled her legs shaking when her name was called – something that had never happened before – and feeling a moment of panic. But she’ll always cherish the feeling of skating well, not the win itself, but the relief and joy she experienced after finishing her performance, knowing she’d done her best on the Olympic stage in front of a huge audience.

She met her future husband, Todd Kapostasy, while presenting him with an award at the Sports Emmys in 2015. They married two years later and later collaborated on the 2022 Peacock documentary Meddling, which details the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics scandal where pairs skaters were awarded two sets of gold medals.

Figure skating has seen its share of controversies, from the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan incident to the judging scandal in 2002. Hopefully those days are behind us now,” said Lipinski.

Even those who consistently follow figure skating were surprised by Sarah Hughes’s win at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. In her first Olympic appearance, she skated a remarkably joyful long program and won gold. People still remember the look on her face as she realized she was delivering a truly exceptional performance.

I have to admit, when I first started following her, I wasn’t sure she’d become the legend she is today. She was a U.S. junior champion back in ’98, but by the 2001 World Championships, she’d only managed a bronze medal. Making the Olympic team felt like a big step, but things didn’t start great – she was in fourth place after the short program. Everyone thought Michelle Kwan had it locked up going into the long program, and she ended up taking the bronze. It was a tense competition, and honestly, a bit of a surprise at the time!

Interestingly, Hughes is the only American woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating without also achieving a national or world championship title.

I’ve always been so impressed by her journey! She’s incredibly accomplished – Yale, then Penn for law school, and now she’s a practicing attorney in New York. Beyond that, she’s dedicated to making a difference, having worked with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign and even representing the U.S. at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. What really struck me recently was her openness about freezing her eggs – she documented the whole process on her website, and at the end, she shared how excited she was to get back to ice skating. It felt so relatable and inspiring!

The skater, who won the national championship in 2006 and earned a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, took a three-year break from competitive skating. However, they remained active in the skating world, performing in shows and at events like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting.

She nearly qualified for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, finishing fourth at the U.S. Championships and becoming a team alternate. However, she decided to retire from the sport later that same year.

Cohen is a frequent guest on television and earned a political science degree from Columbia University in 2016. She previously published a memoir, Fire on Ice, at the young age of 19, and has often spoken about the significant pressure she experienced during competition.

She explained to US Figure Skating Fan Zone in 2021 that young Olympic athletes often dedicate their teens to training and competing, only to retire while still very young. This creates a difficult transition, as they go from being highly successful and celebrated – with lots of attention and support – to quickly being seen as past their prime.

Okay, so last year, Sasha hosted this amazing podcast called Sasha Sessions: A Team USA Podcast, and I seriously listened to every single episode! She talked to all sorts of incredible people – activists, artists, journalists… but the best part was when she interviewed Olympians! Like, she had Apolo Ohno on, and Adam Rippon, and even Laurie Hernandez! I was completely obsessed, honestly. It was just… everything!

Cohen married Tom May, a hedge fund manager, in August 2016, but they divorced two years later in 2018. She reflected on turning a year older in October 2019, sharing on Instagram that she felt wiser, stronger, and better at understanding her priorities. In January 2020, she and her fiancé, Geoffrey Lieberthal, welcomed their son, Dashiell.

After Brian Boitano’s win in 1988, U.S. men’s figure skating didn’t see much Olympic success for a while. Paul Wylie’s silver medal in 1992 and Timothy Goebel’s bronze in 2002 were the only highlights, suggesting the American team was struggling to compete at the highest level.

After finishing just outside the top three in 2006, two-time national champion Evan Lysacek finally won gold in Vancouver in 2010. He also gained attention for his stylish Vera Wang costumes at the games.

That spring, he took second place on Dancing With the Stars and was also honored as the U.S. Olympic Committee’s SportsMan of the Year.

Following his skating career, Lysacek transitioned into commercial real estate, even working with Wang in New York for a period. In 2019, he married real estate developer Duangpatra Bodiratnangkura in a ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand.

I’m just so thrilled for him! He told People magazine how unbelievably lucky he feels to have found his fiancée – he truly believes she’s perfect. He said she’s amazing in every way and actually brings out the best in him, making him a better person. It’s so heartwarming to hear!

Though he won three national championships, this skater never reached the Olympic podium in 2006 or 2010. However, his dazzling performances and flamboyant style always captivated audiences and earned him widespread admiration.

Weir explained that he and his colleague, Tara Lipinski, were bringing a total of 17 suitcases with them to Beijing in 2022. He jokingly told TopMob’s Daily Pop that this was actually a smaller number than usual, suggesting they were either becoming more efficient packers or simply knew each other’s wardrobes too well.

This pair is known for their great on-screen connection and knowledge, making their commentary a highlight of events like award show red carpets, dog shows, the Super Bowl pre-game, the Kentucky Derby, and even the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, this time of year, they’re completely focused on their passion: figure skating.

Lipinski said to TopMob that if they showed figure skating on screen, both she and her companion would immediately jump up, and she’d instinctively reach for his hand.

Johnny Weir and Victor Voronov got married in 2012, but their marriage ended in a difficult breakup just two years later. Weir fondly recalled that Lipinski supported him when they both competed at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

He shared with GQ in 2018 that Tara was his only support during a difficult divorce. He acknowledged asking a lot of her so early in their friendship, but she was there for him as long as he needed, helping him stay focused on work. Despite his personal life falling apart, they were incredibly successful professionally, gaining popularity across the country. This shared experience created a strong and fast bond between them.

Following a silver medal at the Vancouver Olympics, the six-time national and two-time world champions made history at the Sochi Games, winning the first-ever gold medal in ice dancing for the United States. They also contributed to the team’s bronze medal win. Despite potentially disappointing some fans who hoped for a romance, the long-time skating partners were thrilled to achieve this historic milestone.

Months after winning Dancing With the Stars, Davis and White performed in exhibitions before retiring in February 2017. In June 2019, she married retired figure skater Fedor Andreev in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Provence, France.

The bride shared with Town & Country that they focused on breathing and really soaking in the moment, calling it incredibly meaningful. After dating for a long time and loving each other deeply, sharing that experience was particularly beautiful and stands out as her favorite memory so far.

A little cold, but wedding days will do that to a person, even an Olympic gold medalist.

In 2015, Charlie White married Tanith Melvin, a retired ice dancer who competed for both Canada and the United States, and they have a son. White plans to launch the Michigan Ice Dance Academy in 2022. Both he and his former skating partner Meryl Davis are still highly respected and frequently consulted experts on skating and competitive events.

As a former Olympian, Davis reflected on his past athletic experience, noting how all-consuming it felt at the time. Speaking on Olympics.com’s Instagram Live, he explained that when he was competing, everything felt natural and focused. Now, watching current athletes, he’s amazed by their ability to handle pressure and maintain concentration, wondering how he managed it himself.

Though he didn’t medal in the individual skating event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the 2016 national champion helped the U.S. team win bronze. More importantly, he captivated American audiences with his energetic performances, artistic expression, and positive attitude, both on and off the ice.

Sally Field’s son, Sam Greisman, shared a funny conversation he had with his mother on Twitter. In it, she encouraged him to pursue someone, saying, “Sam… he’s insanely pretty. Find a way.”

Following his success at the Pyeongchang Olympics, Adam Rippon won Dancing With the Stars and was named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2018.” Since then, he’s juggled a career in entertainment—including guest-hosting RuPaul’s Drag Race and appearing in Taylor Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video—with his work as a human rights advocate.

He married husband Jussi-Pekka Kajaala on Dec. 31, 2021.

In January, while discussing his hopes for the Beijing Olympics, coach Adam Rippon – who is currently working with first-time Olympian Mariah Bell – told TopMob News that he wanted viewers to remember the athletes are people with feelings. He emphasized that athletes will be aware of how they’re discussed and celebrated, and that they’ve dedicated their lives to reaching these moments, regardless of the outcome. He highlighted the incredible effort, time, and dedication they’ve invested.

The athlete, a two-time national champion and model for CoverGirl, won a bronze medal with her teammates at the first-ever team event in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Though many expected her to compete again in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, she decided to step away from the sport to focus on her well-being.

She’s become increasingly recognized for speaking openly about the mental health challenges athletes face due to intense competition. In a 2019 interview with the New York Times, Gold shared her personal struggles with an eating disorder, anxiety, and depression, describing a difficult internal conflict: wanting others to recognize her pain and offer support, but feeling unable to ask for help, leaving her stuck in a painful situation.

Along with athletes like Michael Phelps and Lolo Jones, Gold was featured in the 2020 documentary The Weight of Gold, which explores the mental health struggles of Olympians. While she didn’t qualify for the 2022 U.S. Olympic team, finishing tenth in the national competition, Gold appeared on Kevin Hart’s Winter Olympics Tailgate Party during Peacock’s extensive coverage of the Beijing Games. She is currently writing a memoir.

A three-time national champion, Wagner earned a team bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. However, she didn’t make the U.S. team for the 2018 Olympics and openly expressed her anger, telling reporters she was “absolutely furious” with her scores at the U.S. Championships that January.

She explained on TODAY that she’s a straightforward person who values honesty. While she still had some concerns about how the scoring was done, she believes the judges ultimately chose the best team based on the established criteria and accepted the outcome.

When asked about her initial reaction to the results, Wagner said she was completely heartbroken and devastated. She explained that she’d spent 22 years working towards that moment and was incredibly proud of what she had accomplished.

In an October interview with NBC Sports, she discussed her current pursuits: studying psychology at Northeastern University and planning to become a therapist. She also shared her desire to live in Boston with her boyfriend, Alex Clark, who teaches science at the middle school level.

Wagner supplemented her work by teaching a weekly skating and fitness class and coaching young skaters. She described her role as a blend of technical instruction and emotional support, saying it allowed her to stay connected to the sport without being overwhelmed. She also contributed to NBC Sports’ coverage of the Beijing Olympics from the United States.

She admitted she never actually enjoyed skating, viewing it as a way to achieve other goals. Once her competitive career was over, she was completely finished with it.

2025-12-25 15:20

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