Madison Chock Calls for Transparent Judging After Silver Medal at 2026 Olympics

The American ice dancer urges officials to review scoring after controversial result in the free dance final.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Madison Chock, the three-time World champion ice dancer, has called for more transparent judging and a review of the scoring process after she and partner Evan Bates finished second in the free dance final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Chock said the scores must be scrutinized as the athletes competing at the Olympics have put in immense effort to reach that level, and they deserve fair and even judging.

Why it matters

The judging controversy in the ice dance event at the 2026 Olympics has raised questions about the fairness and transparency of the scoring system. As one of the top ice dance teams in the world, Chock and Bates' comments carry weight and highlight the need for the governing body to address these issues to ensure a level playing field for all athletes.

The details

Chock and Bates finished 1.43 points behind the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron in the free dance final. It emerged that French judge Jezabel Dabouis had awarded higher marks to the French team than the overall mean. While five of the nine judges favored the American couple, Dabouis appeared to show bias by giving Beaudry and Cizeron a 137.45 and Chock and Bates a 129.74.

  • Chock and Bates won three consecutive World titles in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
  • The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina was their first individual Olympic podium after three previous editions in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

The players

Madison Chock

A three-time World champion ice dancer who, along with her partner Evan Bates, finished second in the free dance final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Evan Bates

Chock's ice dance partner, who called their loss 'bittersweet' but said they wouldn't change a single thing about how they approached the individual competition.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry

One half of the French ice dance duo that won gold in the free dance final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Guillaume Cizeron

The other half of the French ice dance duo that won gold in the free dance final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Jezabel Dabouis

A French judge whose marks for the winning French team were higher than the overall mean, sparking controversy over the scoring.

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What they’re saying

“I think it would definitely be helpful if it's more understandable for the viewers to just see more transparent judging and understand what's really going on.”

— Madison Chock, Ice Dancer (profootballnetwork.com)

“I think it's also important for the skaters that the judges be vetted and reviewed to make sure that they are also putting out their best performance because there's a lot on the line for the skaters when they're out there giving it their all and we deserve to have the judges also giving us their all and for it to be a fair and even playing field.”

— Madison Chock, Ice Dancer (profootballnetwork.com)

What’s next

The International Skating Union (ISU) has announced that it will review the judging process and scoring system for the ice dance event at the 2026 Olympics to ensure more transparency and fairness for the athletes.

The takeaway

Chock's calls for transparent judging and a review of the scoring process highlight the need for the governing body to address the concerns raised by athletes to maintain the integrity of the sport and provide a level playing field for all competitors at the highest level of competition.