Fans of Chock and Bates launch petition questioning ice dance result

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. ICE DANCERS AND OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS MADISON CHOCK AND EVAN BATES SPEAKING TO MEDIA / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHOCK AND BATES COMPETING IN ICE DANCE SHOWS: MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. U.S. ICE DANCERS EVAN BATES AND MADISON CHOCK SPEAKING TO MEDIA 2. GOLD MEDAL AND SILVER MEDAL  3. VARIOUS OF BATES AND CHOCK TALKING TO MEDIA 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ICE DANCER AND OLYMPIC MEDALLIST, EVAN BATES, SAYING: “We haven't studied it in depth, but we did speak to our coach, and we did talk to each other, and 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.” 5. BATES AND CHOCK LISTENING TO REPORTER’S QUESTION 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ICE DANCER AND OLYMPIC MEDALLIST, MADISON CHOCK, SAYING: “Just knowing that we did everything in our power to accomplish our goals and put our very best out onto the ice is a feeling of satisfaction that we can take home with us, regardless of the result. At the end of the day, a medal is a medal, but the Olympic dream is alive, and it's not something that is tangible. It's something that lives within us, and really is the driving force for our motivation and intrinsic goals, and I think that's what's special about the Olympics, and that's a real win for us.” 7. CHOCK LOOKING ON 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ICE DANCER AND OLYMPIC MEDALLIST, MADISON CHOCK, SAYING: “Anytime 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. So, I think there needs to be a lot more clarity for the skaters, for the coaches, and for the audience in order to just have a solid fan base moving forward. People need to understand what they're cheering for and be able to feel confident in the sport that they're supporting.” 9. BATES AND CHOCK TALKING TO MEDIA 10. GOLD AND SILVER MEDALS 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ICE DANCER AND OLYMPIC MEDALLIST, MADISON CHOCK, SAYING: “I think we did what we had to do. We controlled what we could control, and sometimes you do your very best and it's not always what you hope for in the result, but we feel confident in the knowledge that we did our job and we wouldn't change anything about what we've done or how we went about doing it, and yeah.” MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 11, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 12. STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF BATES AND CHOCK COMPETING IN ICE DANCE MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ICE DANCER AND OLYMPIC MEDALLIST, EVAN BATES, SAYING: BATES: "I think the support we've received from the fan base has been incredible. It really, really means a lot to us." REPORTER ASKING: "Do you support that petition?" BATES: "We haven't actually seen it. We've just heard about it. But it means a lot that people are voicing their opinions on our behalf. I think the way that we skated and the way that we've approached chasing these goals hopefully has resonated with people at home, and even in our response, I think hopefully that too can reflect the Olympic spirit.” MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 11, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 14. STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF BATES AND CHOCK COMPETING IN ICE DANCE 15. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BATES AND CHOCK CLAPPING HANDS WITH GOLD MEDALLISTS LAURENCE FOURNIER BEAUDRY AND GUILLAUME CIZERON WAVING ON PODIUM 16. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF ICE DANCE MEDALLISTS HOLDING FLAGS 17. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF BATES AND CHOCK HOLDING AMERICAN FLAG STORY: Triple world ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates will leave the Milano Cortina Olympics with silver medals, but also an outpouring of support from fans questioning the judging that denied them gold. Debate around Wednesday (February 11) night's ice dance victory by French duo Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron has sparked a petition on Change.org calling for the International Skating Union to review the scoring. Despite the swirl around them, Chock and Bates said on Thursday (February 12) they were holding tight to the emotion of their performance and the belief it was the strongest of their career. The petition entitled "Require the IOC and ISU to Investigate the Judges Awarding France the Gold" had just shy of 9,000 signatures on Thursday evening. Bates said he and Chock, who married in 2024, had not seen the petition but had heard about it. Chock, who had been a puddle of tears a night earlier, echoed that sentiment, saying the response from fans had helped soften the sting of the result. The Americans did finally secure the one medal that had eluded them through three previous Olympics, as they climbed the medal podium for the first time in ice dance after winning two gold medals in the team event, including in Milan. They said the intensity of the past week had left them emotionally and physically drained. Chock said the confusion around the judging only underscored a broader challenge for ice dance as it seeks to grow its audience. (Production: Irene Wang)

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