Chock and Bates Power US Team to Lead Olympic Figure Skating / Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered a standout rhythm dance to lift the United States into the lead of the Olympic team figure skating event. The defending champions ended Day 1 ahead of Japan and host Italy. Strong performances across disciplines positioned the U.S. as the early favorite.
US Team Figure Skating Lead: Quick Looks
- Chock and Bates open with world-leading rhythm dance
- U.S. tops standings after Day 1 of team event
- Alysa Liu delivers steady women’s short program
- Japan and Italy remain close behind
- Event narrows to top five teams after men’s short
- Medals decided in free skates Sunday
Deep Look: Chock and Bates Power US Team to Lead Olympic Figure Skating
MILAN — The United States made an emphatic statement Friday at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, as Madison Chock and Evan Bates ignited the team figure skating competition with a high-energy rhythm dance that pushed the defending champions into an early lead.
Skating to music by Lenny Kravitz, Chock and Bates posted a world-leading score of 91.06 points before a packed crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Their performance set the tone for a U.S. squad seeking a second consecutive Olympic team gold medal.
The Americans closed Day 1 with 25 points, ahead of Japan with 23 and host nation Italy with 22. After Saturday’s men’s short program, the 10-team field will be trimmed to five, with medals determined Sunday following the free skates.
“We definitely skated great, and we’re very happy,” Bates said. “We felt the excitement of getting these Olympics underway.”
Chock and Bates, three-time world champions, were also members of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2022 Winter Games. That title came with a long wait for official recognition due to a Russian doping investigation, adding extra motivation for the Americans in Milan.
Pairs skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea placed fifth in the short program, a solid result that kept the U.S. in front despite strong competition from Japan’s world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who won their segment.
“You could hear the crowd explode when we landed our jumps,” Kam said. “For a moment, I couldn’t even hear our music.”
In the women’s short program, Alysa Liu delivered a poised, clean skate to finish second behind Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist. Liu’s score of 74.90 points kept the U.S. comfortably in first place overall.
“I never thought I would be back,” said Liu, who returned to elite competition after a brief retirement. “It’s surreal.”
Sakamoto responded with the calm authority of a veteran, earning 78.88 points and giving Japan a crucial boost to stay within striking distance of the Americans.
Earlier, Chock and Bates had faced immediate pressure from France’s new ice dance duo Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who briefly held a world-best score before the Americans took the ice.
Despite the challenge, Chock and Bates delivered with confidence, reinforcing their status as favorites not only in the team event but also in the upcoming individual ice dance competition.
“I think we have the best generation of figure skaters the U.S. has ever had,” O’Shea said. “And Madison and Evan are leading the way.”
With momentum on their side and key performances still ahead, the United States enters Day 2 of the team event well-positioned to defend its Olympic title.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.