World-Best Score Launches Team USA’s Defense at Milano Cortina
Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered a commanding performance Friday in the figure skating team event at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, posting a world-best 91.06 points in the rhythm dance to open the three-day competition.
The three-time world ice dance champions, skating to a high-energy medley of Lenny Kravitz songs, set the standard for Team USA’s title defense with exceptional technical execution. Their dominant showing included four level-four elements—twizzles, pattern dance type step sequences, and rotational lifts—that earned them top marks and moved the Americans into the lead ahead of France (89.98) and Great Britain (86.85).
Veterans Return to Olympic Ice
For Chock and Bates, the performance marked their return to Olympic competition after a complicated wait for medals from the 2022 Beijing Games. The pair earned the gold medal with Team USA in 2022 but didn’t receive their medals until the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, following an investigation into Russian doping that delayed the award ceremony.
“Any time you get the opportunity to compete at the Olympics, you want to cherish it,” Chock said. “We’re thinking about the 15 years we’ve spent together, the four Olympics. And making the most of this opportunity.”
The Michigan alumnus Evan Bates and his partner have now competed at four Olympics combined, bringing veteran leadership to the American figure skating squad. Their composed execution Friday demonstrated the consistency that has defined their partnership, with no major technical errors and strong grades of execution across all elements.
Team USA Positions for Gold
The pair’s opening performance gave Team USA a crucial advantage in the team event standings. Alysa Liu’s second-place finish in the women’s short program ensured the Americans maintained their lead as competitors prepared for additional disciplines in the men’s figure skating events and pairs competition.
“This team in particular is so deep, so talented, and has a great opportunity for a gold medal,” Bates said. “That’s what we’re focused on.”
The team event’s final day features the free dance at 4 p.m. ET, where Chock and Bates will compete once more for Team USA. The pair remains focused on their long-term legacy rather than past disappointments, setting a professional standard for the Olympic figure skating schedule that continues throughout the Games.
