Olympics ice dancing scoring questioned as French judge faces scrutiny after Madison Chock and Evan Bates take silver

The medals have been decided, but the conversation around the Olympic ice dancing final is still growing. American pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates finished with silver, yet many fans and analysts are now discussing the judging after score patterns raised questions online.

The pair entered the final and performed a clean free dance; nevertheless, the final scores put them only behind the French couple of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.Once score breakdowns started to spread, focus shifted to one judge whose scores distinguished themselves from the rest of the panel. Shared data from skating analysts revealed a marked disparity in how the teams were graded, therefore reigniting debate on transparency in judging for figure skating.

While the official results remain unchanged, the debate has added another layer to one of the most closely watched events of the Winter Olympics.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates’ silver finish fuels discussion after judging differences in final against Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron

Madison Chock and Evan Bates performed their free dance to “Paint It Black” from Westworld and received a score of 134.67. The French pair, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, skated to music from The Whale and earned 135.64, finishing with a combined total of 225.82.

The Americans ended with 224.39, just 1.43 points behind. Soon after the event, scoring data highlighted that one judge gave noticeably lower marks to the American team and higher ones to the French pair compared with other judges. SkatingScores.com stated that the data revealed a wide discrepancy from the average panel score, which quickly turned into a hot topic among viewers and commentators.Furthermore, the debate revisited earlier events where comparable score discrepancies had been seen.These comparisons sparked discussion on consistency in judging and if audience members should get more explicit explanations. Chock discussed the need for more clarity in the sport after the event.

Speaking to CBS Sports, she said, “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.” She added, “It’s important for the skaters that judges be reviewed to make sure it’s a fair and even playing field.”Even with the controversy, both teams delivered strong performances, and the results remain official. Still, the conversation around judging transparency has become one of the biggest stories coming out of the ice dancing final.