A judge from France at the Winter Olympics is facing allegations of manipulating the figure skating competition to ensure a gold medal for her country. French skaters Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron clinched the top spot with a total score of 225.82, just 1.43 points ahead of Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates. However, the victory has been clouded by controversy following the revelation of scores given by French judge Jezabel Dabouis.
In the ice dance event, pairs perform two routines – the rhythm dance and the free dance – over two days. Chock and Bates, who had previously won three consecutive world championships in this category, were the favorites in Milan. After the rhythm dance segment, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron were placed first by the judges, with the Americans settling for second. While five judges ranked the French duo highest, only three favored Chock and Bates, highlighting discrepancies among the judging panel.
Out of the six judges who scored Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron’s routine the highest, five still had Chock and Bates within 3.5 points of them. However, Dabouis awarded her fellow countrymen a significant 5.74-point lead over the American pair. In the free dance round, five out of nine judges ranked Chock and Bates the highest, yet Dabouis notably rated Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron’s routine a substantial 7.71 points above the Americans.
Despite judges giving varied scores, the International Skating Union defended the results, stating that score discrepancies are normal and that mechanisms are in place to address them. The organization expressed confidence in the fairness of the judging process.
Following the event, Chock and Bates shared their emotions about the scoring controversy in an interview with NBC News. Bates acknowledged the subjectivity of judging in sports, emphasizing the highs and lows that come with competition. The skaters expressed pride in their performances at the Olympic Games.
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