An athletic and personal journey that began 15 years ago has now granted Madison Chock and Evan Bates the one honor missing from their resume: an individual Olympic medal. The three-time and reigning World ice dance champions, who competed at their fourth Olympic Winter Games together as a team and first as a married couple, performed a brilliant free dance at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Wednesday to capture the silver medal.
Combined with their two Olympic team event gold medals from 2022 and 2026, Chock and Bates are now tied for the most Olympic medals won by a U.S. skater, joining Beatrix Loughran, Nathan Chen, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White with three Olympic podium finishes. The seven-time U.S. champions are also the first U.S. ice dancers to win a gold and silver at the same Games.
Their curve-curve combination lift generated a program-high 15.29 points and their diagonal step sequence toward the end produced 12.08 points. Their 134.67 free dance score is the best of the season for the Montreal-based team, as is their 224.39 total.
"We just performed four times in six days at the Olympics. We have never done anything like it. It took so much mental strength and discipline to stay focused over the last six days and to deliver four great performances. At the end of the fourth one, the emotions just came flooding out. It's just a lot. We really did our best and that's something we will try and remember and focus on most. We delivered every time we stepped on the ice." — Evan Bates
This medal marks the sixth consecutive Olympic Games a U.S. ice dance team has stood on the podium. Beginning in 2006, Team USA has claimed one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Zingas and Kolesnik Cap a Stunning Debut
The fast rise of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik continued with a sensational fifth-place finish in their Olympic debut, the best result ever for a first-time ice dance team at the Games. The Detroit-area pair — partners for just four years — skated their Romeo and Juliet free dance with the passion and precision of veterans, earning personal-best scores across the board.
"I would say, 'You're lying,' if someone had told me before these Games that we'd finish fifth. I genuinely would not have believed it." — Emilea Zingas
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, also making their Olympic debut, finished 11th, skating with the polish and poise that has defined their partnership throughout the season.
For full results, visit the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 Competition Central.
