A French judge overseeing the Winter Olympics is facing allegations of manipulating the figure skating competition to ensure a gold medal for her country. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron from France clinched the gold with a total score of 225.82, edging out Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates by a mere 1.43 points.
The controversy arose when the scores of French judge Jezabel Dabouis surfaced online. The ice dance competition in figure skating requires pairs to perform two routines over two days: the rhythm dance and the free dance. Chock and Bates, who had previously won three consecutive world championships, were favored in the event in Milan.
Following the rhythm dance segment, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron were ranked first, while the Americans settled for second place. Notably, five judges favored France, while only three placed Chock and Bates at the top, revealing discrepancies among certain judges.
Among the six judges who rated Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron highest, Dabouis notably awarded her compatriots a substantial 5.74-point advantage over Chock and Bates. In the free dance round, five out of nine judges awarded Chock and Bates the highest scores, but Dabouis gave a significantly higher score to Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron.
Despite protests, the judges’ decisions stood. The International Skating Union defended the scores, emphasizing the standard variation in scoring by different judges and expressing confidence in the fairness of the outcome.
In response to the controversy, Chock and Bates reflected on their performances and resilience, acknowledging the subjectivity of judged sports. They highlighted their pride in their Olympic achievements, despite the challenges faced.
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