A French judge’s scoring bias has robbed American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates of Olympic gold, sparking outrage and a petition with over 10,000 signatures demanding an investigation into what many view as blatant favoritism that undermines fair competition.
Story Snapshot
- French judge Jezabel Dabouis awarded the French pair nearly 8 points more than Team USA in free dance, directly swinging gold away from Americans
- Removing Dabouis’ outlier scores would have reversed the results, giving Chock and Bates the gold medal they earned
- ISU defended the controversial judging despite clear statistical anomalies and a pattern of bias from the same judge at previous competitions
- The narrow 1.43-point margin masks the reality that one judge’s extreme scoring determined the outcome in a subjective sport
French Judge’s Scores Determine Olympic Outcome
Madison Chock and Evan Bates lost Olympic gold by just 1.43 points to French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing with 224.39 points compared to the French team’s 225.82. French judge Jezabel Dabouis awarded Beaudry and Cizeron nearly eight points higher than Chock and Bates in the free dance segment, a margin so extreme that removing her scores from the calculation would have reversed the results and awarded gold to the American champions. The three-time world champions delivered what they considered their best performance, skating to “Paint It, Black” in the free dance.
Pattern of Questionable Scoring Raises Red Flags
Dabouis demonstrated a consistent pattern of favoring French skaters over Americans throughout the competition and in previous events. In the rhythm dance, she awarded scores that contributed to a narrow 0.46-point French lead despite technical errors by the French pair that other judges penalized more appropriately. At the December 2025 Grand Prix Final, the same judge showed similar bias even when Chock and Bates won despite falls and deductions. Her component scores of 137 for the French team stood out as outliers, with no other judge awarding components above 130, revealing a statistical anomaly that suggests national favoritism rather than objective evaluation.
Athletes Call for Transparency After Controversial Loss
Chock voiced frustration about the lack of transparency in figure skating judging, telling CBS that the sport needs vetted judges and understandable scoring to retain fans who feel alienated by confusing results. Bates expressed to USA Today that the performance felt like a winning skate, with overwhelming fan support reflecting the Olympic spirit Americans expect. The athletes emphasized that opaque judging systems create confusion among viewers and do lasting damage to the sport’s credibility. Despite their disappointment, both skaters maintained pride in their performance while making clear that reforms are necessary to prevent future injustices in competitions where subjective scoring determines outcomes.
ISU Defense Rings Hollow After Historical Scandal
The International Skating Union issued a statement defending the scores, claiming variations are normal and that mechanisms exist to mitigate outliers, demonstrating a refusal to acknowledge obvious problems. This controversy echoes the 2002 Salt Lake City scandal when French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne admitted to vote-swapping, resulting in her suspension and the implementation of the International Judging System meant to prevent such corruption. The current system still relies heavily on subjective component scores for artistry and performance, creating opportunities for national bias to influence results. Over 10,000 people signed a Change.org petition demanding the ISU and IOC investigate Dabouis’ scoring, reflecting widespread recognition that Americans were robbed of rightfully earned gold medals.
The controversy damages the sport’s integrity and highlights how international competitions can be manipulated through strategic judge placement. Chock and Bates already waited years to receive their 2022 team gold medal after Russian skater Kamila Valieva’s doping disqualification, making this second denial of immediate recognition particularly frustrating for champions who have repeatedly proven their excellence. The lack of accountability for judges who display clear national favoritism undermines the Olympic ideal of fair competition and erodes American confidence in international sporting bodies that refuse to police obvious bias within their own ranks.
Sources:
US Olympic Figure Skaters Speak Out on Judging That Denied Them Gold Amid Widespread Questions
