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Judging dispute overshadows ice dance medals
A French judge's scoring in the Olympic ice dance final has triggered widespread criticism after awarding the lowest marks to American silver medallists Madison Chock and Evan Bates while boosting France's gold-winning duo.
What happened in Milan
Jezabel Dabouis, one of nine judges in the free dance segment, scored Chock and Bates 129.74-nearly three points below the next-lowest judge. For the French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who skated later, she awarded 137.45, their second-highest score of the panel.
Under figure skating's scoring system, the highest and lowest marks are discarded. Dabouis's low score for the Americans was dropped, but her high mark for the French pair counted, helping them secure gold by a narrow margin.
Public and athlete backlash
By Saturday morning, nearly 18,500 people had signed a Change.org petition demanding an investigation by the International Skating Union (ISU) and International Olympic Committee (IOC). Chock, a three-time world champion, questioned the results publicly.
"When the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport. Fans need to understand what they're cheering for and feel confident in the sport they support."
Madison Chock, Olympic silver medallist
The ISU defended its judges, stating that score variations are normal and that mechanisms exist to mitigate discrepancies. "We have full confidence in the scores given and remain committed to fairness," the federation said.
Broader criticism of judging
The controversy extends beyond this event. Canadian bronze medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, who finished just 0.06 points behind Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson at the 2025 Grand Prix Final, have also voiced frustration. Gilles posted a social media graphic questioning the integrity of judging, tagging the ISU.
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, who only began competing together in November 2025, previously criticised scoring at a Grand Prix event, calling it "strange games" that "destroy ice dance."
Britain's Fear and Gibson, who set a season-best score in the team event, saw their marks drop in the individual competition despite improved performances, leaving them in seventh place after a mistake.
How scoring works-and why it's contentious
Figure skating's current system, introduced after the 2002 Salt Lake City scandal, combines technical and artistic scores. Nine judges evaluate each element, with the highest and lowest marks discarded. The remaining scores are averaged, and a separate panel assesses program components like artistry.
Critics argue the system is opaque and vulnerable to bias, particularly in ice dance, where creativity plays a larger role than in singles skating. Technical specialists identify elements in real time, but judges ultimately determine execution grades.
AI and future reforms
The ISU is testing AI-powered cameras to track skaters' movements, analysing jumps, spins, and edge quality. The goal is to reduce human error in technical calls, allowing judges to focus on artistry. The system will debut in singles skating next season before expanding to ice dance.
ISU Director General Colin Smith told Reuters the technology aims to make scoring more transparent, but sceptics doubt it will eliminate controversy entirely.
Legacy of the 2002 scandal
The current system was designed to prevent collusion after Canadian pair Jamie Salé and David Pelletier were initially denied gold in Salt Lake City due to alleged judge pressure. While reforms improved accountability, recent events suggest lingering issues.
With Milan-Cortina 2026 marking the final Olympics under the current judging format, the ISU's "Vision 2030" overhaul seeks to restore trust-but athletes and fans remain wary.
