By Irene Wang and Noemie Olive
MILAN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - 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 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 they were holding tight to the emotion of their performance and the belief it was the strongest of their career.
"We haven't studied (the scoring) in depth, but we did speak to our coach and we did talk to each other, and we know how we felt on centre ice after we skated," Bates, 36, said.
"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."
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.
"It means a lot that people are voicing their opinions on our behalf," he said.
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.
"It's been incredible," the 33-year-old said. "We've really felt so much love and support in the last 24 hours and through the whole week really, but especially since yesterday.
"It really means a lot to us to have so many people just appreciate our performance and what we've worked so hard for."
FIRST OLYMPIC ICE DANCE MEDAL
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.
"We have not, I think, fully processed everything that's happened here," Bates said.
"We were so focused on those six days where we performed four times (a rhythm and free dance in both the team event and stand-alone ice dance), and it felt like it took all of our mental strength and physical strength and even emotional strength to just stay locked in for that long.
"And it hasn't even been 24 hours yet. Today has been a whirlwind. Our family is here, and we're going to have a celebration tonight and just stay until closing ceremonies and use the next 10 days to just celebrate and reflect on what has been an incredible journey up to this point."
Chock said the confusion around the judging only underscored a broader challenge for ice dance as it seeks to grow its audience.
"Anytime the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport," she said. "I think it's hard to retain fans when it's difficult to understand what is happening on the ice.
"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."
Still, Chock insisted they remain at peace with what they delivered.
"A medal is a medal, the Olympic dream is alive, and it's not something that is tangible," she said. "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."
Looking ahead, the Olympic disappointment has not dimmed the couple's commitment to the sport.
"We certainly have plans to remain on the ice," Chock said. "We love skating, and we'll definitely continue performing together."
(Reporting by Irene Wang and Noemie Olive; writing by Lori Ewing in Milan; Editing by Ken Ferris)
