Evan Bates and Madison Chock are U.S. Olympic ice dancers competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The married couple has skated together for more than a decade and recently won a gold medal with Team USA in the team event. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Evan Bates and Madison Chock Were Ice Dance Partners Before Dating
Bates and Chock met as teenagers in Michigan’s figure skating community after Chock moved to the area at age 12, according to NBC Sports. They became ice dance partners years before their relationship turned romantic.
Their first date was to Bahama Breeze for Chock’s 16th birthday, she told “Today.” That early romance did not last, but they continued skating together and remained close.
“That has always been the case, even before we were dating,” Bates told People in 2022. “We sort of would look at each other and smile.”
2. They Didn’t Publicly Confirm Their Relationship Until 2017
Although they reconnected romantically in 2016, the pair waited a year before sharing their relationship publicly. Bates later explained how that shift happened.
“I pretty much told Maddie that I loved her,” he said during the same appearance on “Today.” “Last year I told her how I really felt, and that changed things a lot.”
By the time they went public, they had already been skating together for several years at the international level.
3. Evan Bates and Madison Chock Married in 2024
Bates proposed to Chock in June 2022 while the couple vacationed in Phuket, Thailand. They married on June 20, 2024, in Hawaii, a location chosen to honor Chock’s family roots.
The ceremony included Hawaiian traditions, including a lei exchange.
“The leis represent unity and the coming together of separate elements to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts,” Chock told People.
Guests included fellow Olympic figure skaters Adam Rippon, Meryl Davis, and Alexa Knierim.
4. Madison Chock Designs Costumes for Other Skaters
Chock contributes creatively beyond competition by designing costumes. At the 2026 Games, she created roughly a dozen outfits worn by fellow competitors.
Her focus goes beyond technical elements to include silhouette, speed, and how movement reads from the stands, according to the New York Times. That attention to detail reflects her dancer’s mindset and adds another layer to her impact on the sport.
5. Evan Bates and Madison Chock Say Marriage Changed Their Perspective
Just ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Bates told People that marriage had changed how they approached skating and competition.
“Skating was always the main focus, but as we’ve gotten older, I think the relationship has become the main focus,” he said. “Skating obviously is still the main focus, but skating is kind of like our means of strengthening ourselves and our relationship and going through all the experiences of life together, and so the appreciation for the partnership has grown.”
The couple shares two toy poodles, Henry and Stella. Henry joined the family through Chock, while Stella came from Bates’ parents’ dog.
How to Watch Evan Bates and Madison Chock Compete
Venue: Milano Ice Skating Arena, Assago, Italy
Dates: February 9–11
TV: NBC, USA Network
Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
Evan Bates & Madison Chock: Five Fast Facts You Need to Know