"Both pairs recorded their season-best score in the free dance, but ultimately Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron edged out Chock and Bates by a margin of 1.43 points after both nights of competition. Chock and Bates, the three-time reigning world champions, were clearly disappointed after the scores were announced and were emotional throughout the podium ceremony and during their media obligations later in the evening. Bates called their program their "gold-medal performance" and both said they were proud of what they had done on the ice."
"After Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron earned the highest scores in the rhythm dance segment on Monday, despite some obvious synchronization issues on their twizzles and a clean skate from Chock and Bates, there was already debate about potential bias. However, that went into hyperdrive after the free dance as Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron again had visible errors with their twizzles. Chock and Bates, on the other hand, had no such problems, and again had a near-flawless execution of their twizzles and all elements."
Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron won the Olympic ice dance gold medal by 1.43 points over Madison Chock and Evan Bates after two nights of competition. Both pairs achieved season-best free-dance scores, but Chock and Bates appeared disappointed and emotional after the result. Questions about judging fairness emerged after the rhythm dance and intensified following visible twizzle errors by the French team while Chock and Bates skated near-flawlessly. Several judges' marks prompted scrutiny, and the French judge Jezabel Dabouis awarded Chock and Bates a 129.74, the lowest of nine judges and more than five points below the panel average.
Read at ESPN.com
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