need to know
-
Madison Chock and Evan Bates win ice dance silver medals at 2026 Winter Olympics
-
The win marks the couple’s second medal at the Olympics and third of their careers
-
They are just 1.43 away from beating France
Madison Chalk and Evan Bates are three-time Olympic medalists!
On February 11, Jock, 33, and Bates, 36, finished second in the ice dance competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan — a (relatively) happy ending for the pair, who had missed out on the podium at the 2022 ice dance competition in Beijing with a fourth-place finish.
advertise
The married couple tied the knot in June 2024, but finished behind France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who scored a combined score of 225.82 to beat their own score of 224.39.
Jock and Bates took second place with their free dance to “Paint it Black” and mastered many elements including synchronized pirouettes, spin lifts and dance glides.
The performance came two days after their rhythm dance set by Lenny Kravitz, which put them in second place heading into finals night, behind Beaudry and Cizeron. Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier ranked third with a total score of 217.74 points.
Julian DeRosa/AFP/Getty Images
The silver medal is the first individual Olympic medal of their careers and their second at the 2026 Games; they shared their most recent gold in the team event with Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam.
advertise
“We had a lot of fun,” Jock said on Feb. 9 while participating in the rhythm dance portion of the group event with Bates (who she marries in 2024). “We felt really comfortable on the ice tonight, as comfortable as we can be in both performance and competition mode… We’re really happy with our performance and we’re going to keep that feeling going.”
When asked if they had any changes to their plans for the free dance, Jock said the pair were “locked in.”
“We know ourselves, we know our daily lives, and we do it,” she said.
Arturo Holmes/Getty
Betts, meanwhile, discussed his health at a press conference before the game, saying the 36-year-old “has mileage on his body” but nothing he can’t handle.
advertise
“We’ve been very smart and intentional with our training this year, limiting the number of reps on exercises like weight lifting that can cause problems,” he said. “We’ve found a good balance between pushing recovery and fitness and prioritizing recovery and fitness. We feel good going into the Olympics.”
The couple made their Olympic debut in 2014, but this year’s Games are their first as a married couple.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit people.com for ongoing coverage before, during and after the Games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games on NBC and Peacock starting February 6.
Read the original article on People
