U.S. Figure Skating Declines to Appeal Ice Dance Scoring

Chock and Bates settle for silver after controversial judging in Milan

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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U.S. Figure Skating has decided not to appeal the scoring that led to Madison Chock and Evan Bates losing the ice dance gold medal to the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron at the recent Olympics in Milan. The U.S. had 24 hours to file an appeal, but the International Skating Union stood by the judging, saying there is "full confidence in the scores given and remains completely committed to fairness."

Why it matters

The controversial judging in the ice dance competition has raised questions about the transparency and fairness of figure skating scoring, which is often subjective. This decision not to appeal the results may further erode public confidence in the sport, as Chock noted that "it's hard to retain fans when it's difficult to understand what is happening on the ice."

The details

In the free dance portion of the competition, one French judge, Jezabel Dabouis, scored the French duo nearly 8 points higher than Chock and Bates. If her score were removed, the American team would have won gold. However, the ISU said it stands by the judging, stating that "it is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judges" and that "a number of mechanisms are used to mitigate these variations."

  • The ice dance competition took place on February 15, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
  • U.S. Figure Skating had 24 hours after the competition to file an appeal, but ultimately decided not to do so.

The players

Madison Chock

American ice dancer who, along with partner Evan Bates, won the silver medal in the ice dance competition.

Evan Bates

American ice dancer who, along with partner Madison Chock, won the silver medal in the ice dance competition.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry

French ice dancer who, along with partner Guillaume Cizeron, won the gold medal in the ice dance competition.

Guillaume Cizeron

French ice dancer who, along with partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry, won the gold medal in the ice dance competition.

Jezabel Dabouis

French judge whose scoring of the free dance portion heavily favored the French duo over the American team.

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What they’re saying

“Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport. I think it's hard to retain fans when it's difficult to understand what is happening on the ice.”

— Madison Chock (USA Today Sports)

“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.”

— Evan Bates (USA Today Sports)

What’s next

The U.S. Figure Skating organization plans to have "thoughtful and intentional discussions" with Chock and Bates about the best way to support them and the future of the sport following this controversial result.

The takeaway

This decision not to appeal the ice dance scoring highlights the ongoing challenges with transparency and fairness in figure skating judging, which relies heavily on subjective evaluations. It raises concerns about the sport's ability to retain fans and maintain public confidence when the results are difficult for spectators to understand.