Madison Chock and Evan Bates were out for revenge after just missing the podium in their 2022 Olympic appearance, but their road to victory at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games came down to the shocking final two skates.
Bates, a Michigan native, and Chock entered the ice dance free skate nearly tied with first place finishers France’s Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, making the medal skate particularly close.
Chock and Bates had helped the Americans defend their team gold medal but after a fourth-place finish at the Beijing Games, it is the individual gold medal that they have been on a mission to win. And they were nearly unbeatable heading into the 2026 Games, becoming the first Americans to win three consecutive ISU World Figure Skating Championships.
They were favorites to win gold in the ice dance events, but the competition grew heated after the short program.
A small downgrade in Chock and Bates’ short performance meant the difference between first place and second place as they stared down the free dance final.
The downgrade meant Chock and Bates ended with a final score of 89.72. Beaudry and Cizeron took first with a score of 90.18.
“I am surprised,” Olympian and host Scott Hamilton said. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
Then in the final Wednesday, they performed their best yet, scoring a season best score of 134.67.
“This performance was really tremendous,” said Olympian and commentator Johnny Weir.
Bates stood on the ice with tears in his eyes following the finish.
“Fifteen years of practice and preparation for one night of perfection,” Weir said.
While the couple had already secured at least a silver medal with their score, they anxiously awaited the final skate from Beaudry and Cizeron, which would determine who won gold.
Beaudry and Cizeron arrived at the Winter Games facing a swirl of controversy linked to their former partners.
Beaudry, who previously skated for Canada, was left in limbo when Skate Canada banned her former partner, Nikolaj Sorensen, for a minimum of six years after allegations of “sexual maltreatment.” The suspension was overturned in June on jurisdictional grounds, but the case is still pending, and that left Beaudry in search of a new partner.
She found one in Cizeron, who had retired after 2022, when he won the Olympic gold medal with Gabriella Papadakis.
But in the last few weeks, Cizeron also has come under scrutiny. It stems from Papadakis’ new memoir, “So As Not To Disappear,” in which she accused her longtime partner of being demanding, controlling and emotionally manipulative.
Cizeron has called the allegations false, accusing Papadakis of engineering a “smear campaign.”
“We’re really creating a bubble between the two of us and our coaches,” Beaudry said, when asked of the distractions, “so when we are out there, it’s about the moment we spend together, and the memories that we’ll bring back from that moment.”
In the end, the French duo won by the smallest of margins, finishing with a score of 135.64, enough to bring them the gold.
Team Canada’s Piper Gilles, who was born in Rockford, Illinois, and her partner Paul Poirier took home the bronze.
“No matter what it was a fantastic night of ice dance,” Weir said.
And Chock and Bates will walk away with their long-sought individual medal.
Full figure skating schedule
Date/time (ET)EventStreamFriday, Feb. 6, 4-5:35 a.m.Team Event: Rhythm DancePeacock, NBCOlympics.comFriday, Feb. 6, 5:35-7:35 a.m.Team Event: Pairs Short ProgramPeacock, NBCOlympics.comFriday, Feb. 6, 7:35-8:55 a.m.Team Event: Women’s Short ProgramPeacock, NBCOlympics.comSaturday, Feb. 7, 1:45-3:15 p.m.Team Event: Men’s Short ProgramPeacock, NBCOlympics.comSaturday, Feb. 7, 4-5 p.m.Team Event: Free DancePeacock, NBCOlympics.comSunday, Feb. 8, 1:30-2:45 p.m.Team Event: Pairs Free SkatePeacock, NBCOlympics.comSunday, Feb. 8, 2:45-3:55 p.m.Team Event: Women’s Free SkatePeacock, NBCOlympics.comSunday, Feb. 8, 3:55-5 p.m.Team Event: Men’s Free SkatePeacock, NBCOlympics.comMonday, Feb. 9, 1:20-2:40 p.m.Rhythm Dance on USA:Groups 1 & 2 Peacock, NBCOlympics.comMonday, Feb. 9, 2:40-5 p.m.Rhythm Dance on NBC:Groups 3, 4 & 5Peacock, NBCOlympics.comTuesday, Feb. 10, 12:30-2:10 p.m.Men’s Short Program on USA:Groups 1 & 2Peacock, NBCOlympics.comTuesday, Feb. 10, 1:45-5 p.m.Men’s Short Program on NBC:Groups 3, 4 & 5Peacock, NBCOlympics.comWednesday, Feb. 11, 1:30-2:15 p.m.Free Dance on USA:Group 1Peacock, NBCOlympics.comWednesday, Feb. 11, 2:15-5 p.m.Free Dance on NBC: Groups 2, 3 & 4Peacock, NBCOlympics.comFriday, Feb. 13, 1-2:50 p.m.Men’s Free Skate on USA:Groups 1 & 2Peacock, NBCOlympics.comFriday, Feb. 13, 3-5 p.m.Men’s Free Skate on NBC:Groups 3 & 4Peacock, NBCOlympics.comSunday, Feb. 15, 1:45-3:10 p.m.Pairs Short on USA:Groups 1 &2Peacock, NBCOlympics.comSunday, Feb. 15, 3-5 p.m.Pairs Short on NBC:Groups 3, 4 & 5Peacock, NBCOlympics.comMonday, Feb. 16, 2-4:15 p.m.Pairs Free on USA:Groups 1 & 2Peacock, NBCOlympics.comMonday, Feb. 16, 3:55-5 p.m.Pairs Free on NBC:Groups 3 & 4Peacock, NBCOlympics.comTuesday, Feb. 17, 12:45-3:10 p.m.Women’s Short on USA:Groups 1 & 2Peacock, NBCOlympics.comTuesday, Feb. 17, 2:40-5 p.m.Women’s Short on NBC:Groups 3, 4 & 5Peacock, NBCOlympics.comThursday, Feb. 19, 1-5:10 p.m.Women’s Free Skate on NBCPeacock, NBCOlympics.comSaturday, Feb. 21, 2-4:30 p.m.Exhibition GalaPeacock, NBCOlympics.comHence then, the article about madison chock and evan bates quest for figure skating gold comes down to final skate was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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