American Ice Dancers Chock and Bates Secure Silver at 2026 Winter Olympics
Milano, Italy – Madison Chock and Evan Bates, a celebrated American ice dancing pair, earned the silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Their performance followed a captivating free dance routine. The event took place on Wednesday at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
The gold medal was awarded to Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France. Chock and Bates finished with a score that placed them just 1.43 points behind the French duo.
Chock and Bates trailed Beaudry and Cizeron by a mere 0.46 points after the rhythm dance program held on Monday. For their free dance, the American team chose music from the science fiction series “Westworld,” specifically “Paint It Black.” Their performance earned them a score of 134.67. After their skate, they awaited the French team’s performance. Beaudry and Cizeron achieved a score of 135.64, giving them a 0.94-point advantage in the free dance segment.
Chock and Bates have a long-standing partnership of 15 years. They celebrated their marriage in 2024.
Earlier in the games, Chock and Bates played a key role in helping Team USA secure a gold medal in the team event. They excelled in both the rhythm dance and free dance portions. This year marks their fourth consecutive Winter Olympics appearance together. While they have previously won two golds in the team event, this silver medal marks their first Olympic medal specifically for ice dancing.
The gold medalists, Beaudry and Cizeron, have formed their partnership within the past year. Cizeron previously won gold in ice dancing at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Following the retirement of his previous partner in 2024, Cizeron sought a new partner. Beaudry, originally from Montreal, had represented Canada for much of her career but obtained French citizenship in November. She approached Cizeron to form a team after her former partner faced suspension.
