Madison Chock says ice dance judges should "be vetted and reviewed"

The crystal creation contention of the 2026 Winter Olympics whitethorn beryllium over, but galore fans can't halt talking astir Madison Chock and Evan Bates' show — or France's arguable win aft the judges' scores near the Americans conscionable 1.43 points shy of gold.

Asked by CBS News if determination should beryllium immoderate changes successful the mode crystal creation is judged moving forward, Chock said it would "definitely beryllium adjuvant if it's much understandable for the viewers, to conscionable spot much transparent judging and recognize ... what's truly going on."

"I deliberation it's besides important for the skaters, that the judges beryllium vetted and reviewed to marque definite that they are besides putting retired their champion performance," she continued, "because there's a batch connected the enactment for the skaters erstwhile they're retired determination giving it their all, and we merit to person the judges besides giving america their each and for it to beryllium a just and adjacent playing field."

The Americans were the favorites going into the escaped creation connected Wednesday, contempt being 0.46 points behind France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron aft the bushed creation information of the contention connected Monday. They posted their world-best score in Monday's program, earning 89.72 points, but were past topped by the French brace who scored 90.18.

Chock and Bates performed their escaped creation to "Paint It Black" from the dystopian sci-fi amusement "Westworld" and earned a people of 134.67. Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron past skated to the soundtrack from "The Whale" and scored 135.64, edging retired the joined American mates by little than a point. 

Madison Chock and Evan Bates execute their escaped creation programme astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics. Luo Yunfei/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

During their escaped creation program, however, Cizeron made a mistake during an constituent called a twizzle — a one-footed moving rotation — and their show was mostly seen arsenic little cleanable than Chock and Bates'. 

In the end, Beaudry and Cizeron's 225.82 full edged retired Chock and Bates' 224.39. Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier took bronze, with 217.74.

Olympic crystal creation metallic medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S., golden medalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France, and bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada. Stephanie Scarbrough / AP

In crystal dancing, each constituent has a basal value, oregon the fig of points it's usually worth; there's besides a people of execution, for which teams are scored affirmative for doing good and antagonistic for doing poorly. The French weren't marked down for the mistake during their twizzles, and determination were different moments passim their show that mightiness person appeared messy.  

But their scores bested Chock and Bates' marks for creator presumption and mentation of the music, arsenic well. Another origin of subjective scoring: The French justice scored the Americans much than 7 points little than the French duo, which is simply a ample borderline successful crystal dance. Five of the 9 judges favored the Americans successful their scoring; the different 3 lone somewhat scored the French squad higher. 

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France vie during the escaped creation event. Jean Catuffe / Getty Images

"It's decidedly a bittersweet feeling astatine the moment," Chock said aft the contention connected Wednesday. "We person had the astir unthinkable twelvemonth — 15 years connected the crystal together; archetypal Olympics arsenic a joined couple. And we delivered 4 of our champion performances this week. I deliberation we're truly arrogant of however we handled ourselves present and what we accomplished."

Bates said Thursday it was their "absolute champion performance." He said helium and Chock hadn't studied the scores, adding that their show "felt similar a winning skate to america and that's what we're going to clasp connected to," The Associated Press reported. 

They're inactive discussing their plans for the future. The 2026 World Figure Skating Championships are next month successful Prague, and the Americans are the reigning satellite champs.

Silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. execute during the escaped creation competition. Cheng Min/Xinhua via Getty Images

Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron person been a brace for little than a year. Cizeron antecedently won golden successful the crystal creation lawsuit astatine the 2022 Winter Olympics with then-partner Gabriella Papadakis, who retired successful 2024. She has since accused Cizeron of abusive behavior, alleging helium was "controlling" and "demanding," CBS News partner BBC News reported. He countered that Papadakis had dispersed mendacious accusation astir him successful a "smear campaign."

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France execute during the escaped creation competition. Xue Yuge/Xinhua via Getty Images

Fournier Beaudry was calved successful Montreal and has spent astir of her vocation representing Canada, but she was granted French citizenship successful November. She asked Cizeron to squad up aft her erstwhile partner, Nikolaj Sørensen, was suspended by Skate Canada aft an American skater accused him of intersexual assault. The suspension was overturned successful June connected jurisdictional grounds, but the lawsuit is inactive pending, The AP reported. Fournier Beaudry has besides maintained his innocence, showing her enactment for her erstwhile spouse arsenic precocious arsenic earlier this month.

Kiki Intarasuwan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In:

• Figure Skating
• Olympics
• Italy