MADISON, Italy — American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered a powerful opening statement at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, posting a world-leading score of 91.06 points in the rhythm dance to launch the figure skating team event on Friday.
Skating to a high-energy, rock-inspired program set to music associated with Lenny Kravitz, the reigning Olympic champions captivated the arena and earned the maximum 10 points for the United States. Their performance set the tone for the Games’ figure skating competition and immediately positioned Team USA as a leading contender for team gold.
Chock and Bates, three-time world champions, entered the Olympics as favorites in the ice dance discipline. While their primary focus remains the individual event later in the Games, their commanding showing in the team competition underscored both their confidence and consistency on the Olympic stage.
Just minutes earlier, newly formed French duo Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron had raised expectations by recording a then-world-best score of 89.98 points, signaling a fierce rivalry at the top of international ice dance. Chock and Bates responded with a performance that exceeded even that mark.
Despite the record-setting score, Chock emphasized that the duo remains grounded. Their approach, she explained, centers on executing their skating rather than chasing numbers — a mindset that has served them well throughout their Olympic journey.
The team event is widely expected to develop into a head-to-head battle between the United States and Japan. The Americans gained an early advantage not only from Chock and Bates’ victory but also after Japan’s Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita placed eighth in the rhythm dance segment.
Later on Friday, the women’s and pairs short programs followed, continuing a packed opening day of figure skating just ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony. For the U.S., Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea competed in pairs, while world champion Alysa Liu took the ice in the women’s short program.
For Bates, who alongside Chock is the only returning member from the U.S. gold medal-winning team at the Beijing Games, the moment carried special significance.
The duo’s electrifying start has energized the American squad and sent a clear message to the rest of the field: Chock and Bates remain the standard in Olympic ice dance.
