Three-time reigning world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates opened their Olympic ice dance campaign with a poised, powerful rhythm dance, finishing 2nd in the opening segment and positioning themselves squarely in gold-medal contention when the competition concludes with the free dance.
Skating last to their Lenny Kravitz medley, Chock and Bates delivered with speed, clarity and confidence, earning a score of 89.72 — less than half a point off the lead. Their performance reinforced why they entered Milan as gold-medal favorites, combining strong technical execution with the polished performance quality that has defined their three-year run at the top of their sport.
"I feel like the team event was a great way to start the Games, and we felt really comfortable when we got out on the ice tonight — as comfortable as you can be when you're performing, and in competition mode," Chock said after the event concluded. "But we were really happy with how we skated tonight."
"We felt like it was even better than the team event," Bates added. "I think the emotion at the end of the program, the hug, the smiles, the bows – that is for me, the greatest memory of the Olympic Games. It's the feeling of accomplishment, knowing you did your best on the ice, and the rest isn't necessarily up to us."
They were narrowly edged out of the top spot by France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who posted the top score of the night at 90.18. Skating sixth in the starting order, the French duo delivered a technically sharp, voguing-inspired rhythm dance to Madonna’s “Vogue,” earning the highest technical score of the segment. Cizeron, already an Olympic champion from Beijing, looked fully settled in his new partnership, while Fournier Beaudry matched him element-for-element as the pair took an early lead in what immediately shaped up as a tightly compressed race at the top.
Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier placed 3rd with 86.18, putting themselves on the provisional podium heading into the free dance. Skating first in the final warm-up group, the Canadians opened with authority, bringing speed and edge quality to their runway-inspired rhythm dance set to RuPaul’s “Supermodel,” keeping them within striking distance of the leaders.
Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson followed closely in 4th with 85.47. The 2025 world bronze medalists once again leaned into their Spice Girls–themed program, drawing energy from the crowd while remaining competitive on levels, and staying firmly in the mix for a medal with only tenths separating them from 3rd.
Italy’s home favorites Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri rounded out the top five on 84.28. Performing in front of a Milan crowd, the four-time Olympians delivered a steady Backstreet Boys medley that earned balanced technical and component marks, keeping them well within range of the podium heading into the free dance.
Team USA also placed a second team inside the top six, with Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik finishing 6th at 83.53. The Olympic debutants continued their breakout season, posting a strong technical score that kept them ahead of several established international teams and comfortably into the free dance.
"I've never been so peaceful with myself at a competition," Kolesnik said after competing. "I know it's the Olympic stage, I just thought of it as a test run for our next eight years. Because this is just the beginning for us, and we're going to reach higher goals. So, I wanted to have good experience, and I couldn't ask for more."
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko produced a skate to be proud of, highlighting deep improvement and a statement performance. They placed 11th with 78.15 after recently overhauling their programs midseason.
With the rhythm dance complete, the margins at the top are as tight as expected. Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron are currently in the lead, but Chock and Bates remain within immediate reach. Gilles and Poirier are currently on the podium, yet behind them Fear and Gibson, and Guignard and Fabbri are close enough that the free dance, which is longer and contains more required elements, will be a fight to determine final medal color.