At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, U.S. ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates took silver in the Olympic ice dance competition but said they believed they had secured the gold. The pair told CBS News they delivered their “absolute best performance” and were surprised by the final placements after visible errors by the winning French team. Attention has focused on a single judge’s scores, prompting debate among fans and commentators about how the panel assessed technical and component elements. Organizers have not announced any official revision to the results.
Key Takeaways
- Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the silver medal in ice dancing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
- The French team was awarded the gold despite apparent mistakes during their free dance, according to broadcast replays and on-ice observers.
- Chock and Bates said to CBS News they delivered their “absolute best performance” and believed they had won gold.
- Controversy centers on one judge’s marks on the scoring panel; no official protest has been confirmed by Olympic authorities as of publication.
- The outcome has generated widespread discussion online and among skating analysts over judging transparency and score consistency.
- No medal reallocation or formal score adjustment has been reported by the event organizers at this time.
Background
Ice dancing has long combined technical difficulty with artistic interpretation, and results often hinge on narrowly judged components such as levels of difficulty, execution grades, and program component scores. Since the introduction of the ISU judging system after 2004, panels of judges assign detailed element scores and component marks that are then combined into final placements. Close finishes are not uncommon, and occasional disputes or public debate over individual marks have recurred at major championships.
At the Olympic level, national federations, athletes and commentators closely examine panel marks when outcomes are contested. The U.S. team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates arrived at Milan-Cortina with a strong competitive record and were widely expected to contend for gold. The French duo who won gold likewise had been among the leading teams during the season, meaning the final result reflected a clash of two top-ranked pairs rather than a surprise podium presence.
Main Event
The free dance concluded with the French team receiving the highest total and being awarded the gold medal, while Chock and Bates placed second. Broadcast footage and post-program replays showed visible errors in the French free dance run that many viewers noted. Chock and Bates performed a well-received program; they and their coaching team described it to media as their strongest skate of the competition.
Following the medal ceremony, the American pair spoke with CBS News, expressing pride in their performance and astonishment at the final standings. Their remarks have become focal points in the ensuing debate, in part because they came immediately after the event and reflected athletes’ firsthand perspective on the competition. Organizers and the International Skating Union (ISU) typically monitor public reaction but rarely alter results absent a formal appeal or clear scoring error.
Event officials released routine score sheets listing panel marks and totals; those figures have been circulated by outlets and fans for detailed comparison. To date, neither the International Olympic Committee nor the ISU has issued a statement indicating a review or correction of the ice dance results. That leaves the official medals intact while questions about particular marks persist in public discourse.
Analysis & Implications
The episode highlights perennial tensions in judged sports between objective technical measures and subjective component assessment. Even with the detailed ISU scoring protocol, judges exercise discretion on element levels and grades of execution, and small differences can change podium positions. When an outcome appears inconsistent with what many viewers expect, demand for greater transparency and clearer justification of marks grows louder.
For athletes, the immediate impact is emotional and reputational: Chock and Bates walked away with an Olympic silver, a career-defining achievement, but also with a sense of unfinished business given their public statements. For federations and the ISU, repeated controversies can erode trust among fans and competitors, prompting renewed calls for review mechanisms, improved judge training, or reforms to scoring disclosure.
On a broader level, the controversy may influence how broadcasters present judged events and how analysts contextualize marks in real time. If national federations pursue formal inquiries or the ISU clarifies protocols for handling disputed scores, future competitions could see procedural changes. However, absent concrete evidence of a scoring violation, major bodies are cautious about overturning Olympic results.
Comparison & Data
| Team | Country | Medal | Noted Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| French team | France | Gold | Visible mistakes noted by viewers |
| Madison Chock & Evan Bates | United States | Silver | Strong free dance; believed they had won |
The table above summarizes the podium outcome and the primary point of contention drawn from broadcasts and athlete comments. Without an official score revision or publicized protest, the numeric totals used to determine placement remain those posted by event officials, which show the French team ahead of the Americans by a narrow margin.
Reactions & Quotes
“We felt like we delivered our absolute best and thought we had won tonight.”
Madison Chock — interview with CBS News
“In the moment you skate for every point; we were surprised by the final result given how we skated.”
Evan Bates — interview with CBS News
Public reaction on social platforms ranged from support for Chock and Bates to calls for patience until officials complete any standard post-competition reviews. Skating commentators have emphasized that visible mistakes do not always translate to lower technical or component scores if the panel awards higher levels or favorable grades on other elements.
Unconfirmed
- No public evidence has confirmed that a single judge intentionally mis-scored elements; allegations of bias remain unverified.
- There is no confirmed official protest filed by the U.S. federation or a formal ISU review announced as of this article’s publication.
- Any claim that the results will be changed lacks confirmation from Olympic or ISU authorities at this time.
Bottom Line
Madison Chock and Evan Bates leave Milan-Cortina with an Olympic silver and a public sense that they delivered a medal-winning performance. Their comments to CBS News have amplified scrutiny of a close judged event and renewed attention to how marks are awarded in ice dance at the highest level.
Absent a formal appeal or an official correction from the event organizers or the ISU, the published results stand. The incident underscores persistent calls for clearer scoring transparency in judged sports and will likely prompt further discussion among federations, judges and fans ahead of upcoming championships.