MILAN — Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the four-time Olympians, seven-time U.S. champions and three-time reigning world champions, found themselves in an usual position Monday night after the rhythm dance portion of the ice dance competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Not first.
After sweeping to victories in both portions of the team competition to help lead the Americans to the gold medal, Chock and Bates finished in second place, albeit by less than half a point, to the new French team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
There is much more to come Wednesday in the free dance, but it was natural to wonder if the busy schedule they’ve been keeping is taking a bit of a toll on them.
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