USA’s Chock and Bates win Olympic ice dance silver : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7909x5272+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F42%2F97%2F6104bdd44f10aaf012e6f303d52f%2Fap26042825708971.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7909x5272+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F42%2F97%2F6104bdd44f10aaf012e6f303d52f%2Fap26042825708971.jpg" class="img" alt="Gold medalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France wave to the crowd in Milan as silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. look on." fetchpriority="high"/> Chock and Bates, four-time Olympians, have been closely favored for gold. However they misplaced by simply over some extent to a French duo who've been clouded by controversy involving their former companions. Francisco Seco/AP cover caption

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Francisco Seco/AP Need extra Olympics updates? Subscribe right here to get our publication, Rachel Goes to the Video games, delivered to your inbox for a behind-the-scenes take a look at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

MILAN — U.S. ice dancing energy couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates gained their first particular person Olympic medal on Wednesday, claiming silver after two harrowing days of competitors in opposition to their French rivals.

It is a second of redemption for the four-time Olympians — and real-life spouses — who completed simply off the rostrum in Beijing, 4 years in the past, earlier than successful three consecutive nationwide titles.

But it surely's additionally bittersweet, as Chock described it afterward. The veterans and gold-medal favorites misplaced to the newly-paired Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France by 1.43 factors.

"We actually gave it our all, and I would not change something about how we approached every efficiency, what we delivered in every efficiency," the typically-composed Chock informed reporters by her tears.

"We actually gave it our greatest. And that is what we got down to do coming to those Video games. So I feel we've got bought rather a lot to be pleased with, and rather a lot to be pleased about, 'trigger we have had an unbelievable profession, so well-supported by our households, and our coaches, by one another, and generally that is simply the way it shakes out."

Chock and Bates are among the many essentially the most seasoned skaters on the U.S. group and at these Video games usually. They helped Workforce USA win its second straight gold medal within the group occasion final weekend, scoring back-to-back season's bests in each of their applications.

However they confronted steep competitors within the particular person occasion from a a lot newer — and extra controversial — duo. Beaudry and Cizeron, the reigning European champions, solely teamed up final 12 months and proceed to face questions over their former companions (extra on that beneath).

Beaudry and Cizeron completed Monday's rhythm dance competitors main Chock and Bates by lower than a full level, so the People have been beneath additional stress for perfection on Wednesday.

"The sport is at all times on, and it's best to know us by now: we're not altering something," Chock mentioned on the finish of the night time. "We have this locked in, we all know ourselves, we all know our routine, and we bought this."

They delivered one other season's finest rating on their flamenco-inspired "Paint It Black" program, with Chock fiercely embodying the matador in a swishing scarlet skirt. However the final duo of the night time, Beaudry and Cizeron, swooped in of their matching teal outfits to knock the People from the highest spot.

"It has a really specific style, this medal," Cizeron mentioned after. "It was an enormous problem. We went for it and we could not be happier."

Third place went to fan favorites Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada, who dazzled of their Vincent Van Gogh program (each costume and music-wise). The three-time Olympians left the ice in a tearful mess of hugs, realizing they'd a medal ready for them.

The French battled drama off the ice <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8029x5353+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F87%2F83%2F3726cd764ec7b8d8c3eca3561e75%2Fgettyimages-2260593761.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8029x5353+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F87%2F83%2F3726cd764ec7b8d8c3eca3561e75%2Fgettyimages-2260593761.jpg" class="img" alt="France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron compete in the free dance event on Wednesday." loading="lazy"/> France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron compete within the free dance occasion on Wednesday. Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs cover caption

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Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs Cizeron and Beaudry paired up final 12 months as a result of they every wanted a brand new associate, and people respective controversies adopted them to Milan.

Cizeron's partnership with Gabriella Papadakis is extensively thought of one of many strongest in latest ice dance historical past. They gained two Olympic medals — most lately a gold in Beijing — and 5 world titles earlier than formally parting methods in December 2024 with out a lot public clarification.

However in January, simply weeks earlier than the Olympic opening ceremony, Papadakis launched a tell-all e-book describing their two-decade-long partnership (sure, they began as children) as deeply unequal. She accused Cizeron of being a "controlling" and "demanding" associate, and wrote of feeling "beneath his grip," based on translations from the Related Press.

Cizeron has denied her accusations as a "smear marketing campaign," and mentioned he put his attorneys on discover in opposition to additional claims. Papadakis has since mentioned she misplaced her Olympics commentary job with NBC consequently.

"I take advantage of my expertise to focus on a actuality: so long as survivors are punished for talking out, the game can't really change or change into safer," she wrote on Instagram earlier this week. "Because the Winter Olympics unfold, I encourage you to have interaction critically with the spectacle. Spectators have energy, and the best way we select to observe, assist, query, or look away helps form the tradition of the game."

At one level on Wednesday, the jumbotron on the Milano Ice Skating Area panned over a number of ladies within the crowd with the title of Papadakis' e-book scrawled on their naked arms.

In March 2025 Cizeron teamed up with Beaudry, who beforehand skated for Denmark after which Canada.

Beaudry's former skating associate, whom she remains to be relationship, was suspended from the game in 2024 over accusations that he sexually assaulted an American determine skater/coach in 2012, which he denies. Canada's Workplace of the Sport Integrity Commissioner banned Nikolaj Sorensen for at the least six years over "sexual maltreatment," although the ban was overturned in June 2025 because of jurisdictional points. He has not returned to competitors, nevertheless.

Beaudry defended her boyfriend of 12 years within the Netflix docuseries Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing, which premiered simply days earlier than the beginning of the Olympics.

"Once they determined to droop him, it meant that his profession was over, which additionally meant that my profession was over," she mentioned. "This was extraordinarily tough as a result of it was not solely about skating, it was about my integrity, it was about his integrity. I do know my boyfriend 100%. I do know him. And we [stood] sturdy collectively."

The survivor — whose title has not been made public — informed USA At present earlier this month that such feedback "create a harmful setting for skaters who have to report abuse." When requested to reply, Beaudry informed the outlet: "Now we have no ideas."

What's subsequent for Chock and Bates <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3456x2304+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff8%2F42%2F4bce2fb546afb4099253844a13ee%2Fgettyimages-2261135117.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3456x2304+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff8%2F42%2F4bce2fb546afb4099253844a13ee%2Fgettyimages-2261135117.jpg" class="img" alt="Chock and Bates perform their flamenco-inspired routine in the free dance on Wednesday." loading="lazy"/> Chock and Bates carry out their flamenco-inspired routine within the free dance on Wednesday. Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs cover caption

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs Chock and Bates started their skating partnership in 2011, began relationship six years later and married in 2024. Chock sometimes designs their costumes — and this 12 months, costumes for a few of their opponents too.

The 2 prepare in Montreal, the place they dwell with their two toy poodles, Henry and Stella, whom they delivered to the Video games in pin type for some conventional Olympic buying and selling. Milan is their fourth Olympics collectively, and Bates' fifth general, placing them in a considerably parental place on a group full of largely first-timers. Their youthful teammates say Chock and Bates have stuffed that function effectively.

"I wish to name them Mr. and Mrs. America," Amber Glenn, 26, mentioned over the weekend. "They're completely unbelievable folks and unbelievable athletes."

After Wednesday's outcomes, Glenn referred to as them "my Olympic champions."

It was Bates who warned the U.S. group that the ribbons holding their gold medals may pull off in the event that they jumped round an excessive amount of, mentioned Danny O'Shea — prescient recommendation that he instantly ignored.

Bates equally had phrases of reward for the youthful skaters on Workforce USA in the course of the opening week.

"The depth is there and the expertise is there," he mentioned. "However greater than something, what I observed concerning the youthful technology is the spirit, the curiosity, the fearlessness. It is the right stability of dealing with the nerves and simply going on the market with absolute pleasure and freedom."

U.S. duo Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, particularly, are seen as following within the couple's footsteps. They positioned fifth on Wednesday.

At the beginning of the Video games, when requested about ongoing again and neck points, Bates, 36, acknowledged "there's mileage on the physique."

"What we do is not simple and it is very bodily," he mentioned. "We have been actually good and intentional with our coaching this 12 months, limiting the variety of reps on issues like lifts that might probably trigger an issue."

After their medal ceremony on Wednesday, the couple have been requested if the consequence made them wish to come again hungry. Chock shook her head sadly, whereas Bates mentioned, "not in the mean time."