Longtime Champions Eye First Olympic Gold
MILAN — Madison Chock and Evan Bates have enjoyed a decorated career in ice dance, but an individual Olympic gold medal has remained out of reach. After placing second in the rhythm dance, the U.S. duo will compete for gold in the ice dance final.
Despite winning three consecutive world championships and three Grand Prix Finals, Chock and Bates have never placed higher than fourth at the Winter Olympics.
Close Competition with French Rivals
Their main competition comes from France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who led Monday’s rhythm dance by just 0.46 points. The margin is razor-thin, making the final showdown especially intense.
Shared Coaches Add Extra Drama
Adding to the intrigue, both teams train under the same coaches: Patrice Lauzon, Marie-France Dubreuil, and Romain Haguenauer of the Ice Academy of Montreal. Chock emphasized the importance of advocating for themselves during training.
“The coaches do their best to ensure everyone gets what they need, but we take responsibility for speaking up about adjustments or areas we want to focus on,” Chock told NBC News.
Surprising Comeback Shakes Up the Field
Cizeron, the defending gold medalist, returned to competitive skating with Fournier Beaudry after announcing his retirement with former partner Gabriella Papadakis in December 2024. Chock and Bates admitted the news of Cizeron’s comeback was unexpected.
“We were surprised when they announced they’d team up,” Chock said. “It was a lot to process at first, but it doesn’t change our goals. We’re focused on our own performance and achieving what we set out to do.”
Gold Within Reach
For Chock and Bates, gold is within reach if they can deliver a strong free dance Wednesday night. They’ll need to surpass their former classmates to capture the only major title missing from their collection.
