Olympic medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates made their first major decision since the controversial results at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The American ice dancers confirmed they will not compete at the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships, marking their first absence from the event in more than a decade.
The three-time Olympic medalists shared the update with fans after concluding a season that included a team gold medal and an ice dance silver medal at the Olympics. Their announcement comes amid continued debate about the judging that led to their narrow defeat in Milan.
Here is what we know about the pair’s surprising decision and the reaction surrounding their Olympic result.
Madison Chock & Evan Bates Withdraw From World Figure Skating Championships
Chock and Bates officially withdrew from the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships, which take place March 25–28 in Prague.
The duo confirmed the decision on Instagram while reflecting on their Olympic performances.
“We left it all on the ice in Milan,” they wrote. “Our season feels complete with those four performances where we delivered our best. While we have decided not to compete at the World Championships, we hold dear the incredible memories from winning the last three years.”
They added that their past accomplishments continue to hold special meaning.
“Those achievements have meant so much to us. We couldn’t be more appreciative of the love and support we’ve felt from you all. Thank you.”
According to U.S. Figure Skating, the Americans were replaced on the World Championships roster by Caroline Green and Michael Parsons.
Skipping the post-Olympic world championships is not unusual in figure skating. Athletes often step away from the event after the Olympics due to fatigue or other opportunities following the intense Olympic season.
Still, Chock and Bates’ absence marks the first time they will miss the world championships since 2012.
Olympic Ice Dance Results in Milan Spark Debate
The decision comes after a closely contested ice dance competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Chock and Bates entered the free dance in second place after the rhythm dance. The Americans scored 89.72 points in the rhythm dance, while France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron earned 90.18, creating a 0.46-point gap.
In the free dance, Chock and Bates performed to “Paint It Black” from the television series “Westworld” and received 134.67 points. Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron skated to music from “The Whale” and earned 135.64.
Their final score totaled 225.82 points for the French team and 224.39 for the Americans, giving France the gold medal by just 1.43 points.
Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier finished third with 217.74.
Some fans questioned the judging after a moment during the French program when Cizeron appeared to make an error on a twizzle, a one-footed traveling spin.
Despite that moment, the judges did not significantly reduce the French team’s score. Five of the nine judges favored Chock and Bates, while one French judge scored the Americans more than seven points lower than the French pair.
Madison Chock Calls for More Transparency in Ice Dance Judging
Following the competition, Madison Chock addressed the controversy and discussed potential improvements to the transparency of ice dance judging.
In an interview with CBS News, Chock said the scoring system could benefit from clearer explanations for viewers and athletes.
“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,” Chock said.
She also emphasized the importance of accountability within the judging panel.
“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,” Chock added. “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.”
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