U.S. Figure Skating has chosen not to appeal the scoring decision by a French judge that cost Madison Chock and Evan Bates the ice dance gold medal at the Milan Games. The Americans settled for silver behind France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
USFS CEO Addresses the Decision
USFS CEO Matt Farrell highlighted extensive discussions following the event. “There has been a lot of thoughtful, and at times emotional, discussion about the ice dance competition in Milan,” Farrell stated. He added that the organization will collaborate with Chock and Bates post-Games to determine optimal support strategies for them and the sport’s future. For now, they aim to celebrate U.S. Figure Skating’s achievements in Milan.
Controversial Free Dance Scoring
In Wednesday’s free dance, judge Jezabel Dabouis awarded nearly eight points more to Beaudry and Cizeron than to Chock and Bates. Removing her scores would have elevated the U.S. pair to gold. Officials had 24 hours to appeal, but the International Skating Union (ISU) upheld the panel’s judgments.
“It is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judges in any panel and a number of mechanisms are used to mitigate these variations,” the ISU explained. The body expressed full confidence in the scores and reaffirmed its commitment to fairness. Dabouis similarly favored the French skaters by a wide margin in the rhythm dance.
Skaters Express Frustration
Chock voiced concerns over public confusion. “Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport,” she said. “I think it’s hard to retain fans when it’s difficult to understand what is happening on the ice. People need to understand what they’re cheering for and be able to feel confident in the sport that they’re supporting.”
Bates reflected positively on their performance. “We know how we felt on center ice after we skated. We felt like we delivered our absolute best performance that we could have. It was our Olympic moment. It felt like a winning skate to us, and that’s what we’re going to hold on to.”
