The figure skating finals are wrapped up, but the drama is far from finished. Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates found themselves in a scoring controversy regarding their silver medals.
Following their performance in Monday’s Riverdance event, they were poised for gold ahead of Wednesday’s final, just 0.46 points shy of the French leaders, Laurence Fournier Baudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
In a surprising turn, they fell short against the French couple, with judge Jezabelle Dabois facing criticism due to her involvement in an ice skating scandal.
She scored the American duo significantly lower compared to other judges and overestimated Baudry and Cizeron, a scoring pattern that has apparently persisted for over a year.
Chock and Bates performed a free dance to “Paint It Black” from “Westworld,” earning a score of 134.67. On the other hand, Beaudry and Cizeron skated to the “Whale” soundtrack. Despite a mistake by Cizeron mid-routine and a less polished performance, they received 135.64 points. Their combined total of 225.82 left Chock and Bates with a score of 224.39, just 1.43 points away from the gold.
Interestingly, Dabois drastically undervalued Chock and Bates by -7.19 points while awarding Beaudry and Cizeron an impressive 6.45 points above their average. This resulted in a striking 13.64 point difference favoring the French team.
While five out of the nine judges preferred Team USA, Dabois’ scores neutralized their advantage.
2026 Winter Olympics
In a similar vein at the 2026 European Championships, French judges granted high marks to Baudry and Cizeron while also elevating competitors from Italy and Great Britain.
Dabois showed inconsistency at the 2025 Japan Figure Skating Grand Prix as well, awarding major points to the French duo even after they fell during their performance.
When questioned about potential changes to ice skating judging systems, Chock expressed a desire for enhanced transparency in how judges operate, stating it would greatly benefit audience understanding.
“A clearer review process would help everyone see what’s really happening,” she noted. She believes that ensuring judges are held accountable is crucial, as skaters put everything on the line for their performances.
Adding to the controversy, Beaudry and Cizeron’s relationship has raised eyebrows since they became a couple right after Beaudry’s former partner faced severe allegations that led to his suspension by the Canadian figure skating organization. This relationship sparked further discussion as she made the switch from the Canadian team to represent France, vigorously defending her boyfriend in the process.
