Chock and Bates Aim for Olympic Gold in Ice Dance

In the world of figure skating, the United States ice dance pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates have collected an impressive array of achievements. Yet, the most prestigious accolade, an Olympic gold medal, has so far been just out of reach for the duo. This scenario might change on Wednesday night as they compete in the ice dance final.

Following an outstanding performance in their rhythm dance that secured them second place, Chock and Bates are now poised to vie for gold. The pair has already clinched three consecutive world championships and Grand Prix Finals, but at the Winter Games, the best they have achieved is fourth place.

Their main competition comes from French ice dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who topped the rhythm dance score on Monday. The rivalry between the top teams is intense, with only a slim 0.46-point margin separating them.

An interesting twist in this competition is that both teams have trained under the same coaches: Patrice Lauzon, Marie-France Dubreuil, and Romain Haguenauer, who lead the prestigious Ice Academy of Montreal. Chock shared in an interview with NBC News the importance of self-advocacy regarding training time amid such competitive settings.

“I think the coaches do their very best to ensure that everyone has what they need and feel supported,” Chock explained. “We have a great relationship with them and at this point in our careers, we are the biggest advocates for ourselves because we know what we need.”

Interestingly, Cizeron, who previously retired with partner Gabriella Papadakis in December 2024, makes an unexpected return with Fournier Beaudry. This unexpected pairing came as quite a surprise to Chock and Bates, as Cizeron had trained with them at the Ice Academy.

The news of Cizeron’s and Beaudry’s partnership was shared with Chock and Bates just before the French team’s training commenced. At first, the announcement was difficult to process, but Chock revealed that after understanding the implications, they focused on their objectives which remain unchanged despite this new development.

For Chock and Bates, their Olympic dream is within touching distance. Their aspirations will soon be put to the test on the ice in Milan, where they must outshine their classmates to seize the remarkable victory they’ve been chasing.

The opportunity to rewrite their Olympic history is now, and all eyes will be on them as they aim to add an Olympic gold to their collection of accolades.

Rohan Nadkarni and Andrew Greif contributed to this report as sports reporters for NBC News.