Fans of Team USA figure skating were left in disbelief on Wednesday, February 11, when the French pair of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron won the ice dancing gold medal over Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
French judge Jezabel Dabouis favored Beaudry, 33, and Cizeron, 31, in the free dance by a margin so high it made the difference between gold and silver. Dabouis’ scores differed greatly from the other judges which, combined with some errors from the French team, has led to speculation over her objectivity.
The International Skating Union, figure skating’s governing body, released a statement on Thursday, February 12, sticking by Dabouis.
“It is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judges in any panel and a number of mechanisms are used to mitigate these variations,” the statement read. “The ISU has full confidence in the scores given and remains completely committed to fairness.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about France’s controversial win.
How Severely Did Jezabel Dabouis Disagree With Her Fellow Judges?
Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Jezabel Dabouis’ score for Team USA (129.74) was more than seven points lower than France’s (137.45). She awarded Madison Chock and Evan Bates the lowest score out of any of the nine judges. She also gave Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron more than a six-point advantage in rhythm dance despite viewers observing the pair clearly out of sync during portions of their routine.
What Have Madison Chock and Evan Bates Said About the Results?
The Team USA competitors spoke to the media after the finals, with Madison Chock questioning what the result means for the sport.
“Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport,” she said. “I think it’s hard to retain fans when it’s difficult to understand what is happening on the ice.”
She continued, “I think there needs to be a lot more clarity for the skaters, for the coaches and for the audience, in order to just have a solid fan base moving forward. People need to understand what they’re cheering for and be able to feel confident in the sport that they’re supporting.”
French ice dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry have been considered gold-medal contenders before the 2026 Winter Olympics even begin. Olympic medalist Cizeron joined forces with Fournier Beaudry in January 2025, quickly becoming a force in the ice dancing discipline. Their partnership, however, has been met with controversy. Keep scrolling for a full history: […]
Evan Bates added that in the moment, they felt like they had done enough to win.
“We did speak to our coach, and we did talk to each other, and we know how we felt on center ice after we skated,” he said. “We felt like we delivered our absolute best performance that we could have. It was our Olympic moment. It felt like a winning skate to us, and that’s what we’re going to hold on to.”
Is There Anything Team USA Can Do About the Decision?
It’s not likely that the French team will lose its gold medal. The ISU’s statement expressing confidence in the scoring makes it seem like the organization does not plan to investigate the ruling.
A Change.org petition is currently circulating calling on the ISU and International Olympic Committee to launch an investigation, and as of Friday afternoon, it has garnered more than 16,000 signatures.
“It means a lot that people are voicing their opinions on our behalf,” Evan Bates said of the petition.
Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes is weighing in on Jordan Chiles‘ bronze medal drama after the Paris Games. “The sport of gymnastics is a subjective sport, and if you could get human error out of it, then you won’t run into these situations whatsoever,” Dawes, 47, said in an interview with TMZ published on Wednesday, August […]
Has Jezabel Dabouis Faced Accusations of Favoritism Before?
This isn’t the first time Jezbel Dabouis has found herself at the center of controversy involving these same competitors. Just two months earlier, at the Grand Prix Final in December 2025, she placed Madison Chock and Evan Bates just barely ahead of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron despite two deductions and what the Associated Press called an “egregious fall.”
