A judge from France at the Winter Olympics is facing allegations of manipulating the figure skating competition to ensure that her country secured the gold medal. The French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron claimed the gold with a total score of 225.82, narrowly edging out Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates by just 1.43 points.
The controversy arose when the scores from French judge Jezabel Dabouis were revealed online, casting doubt on the fairness of the results. In ice dance competitions, pairs perform two routines over two days: the rhythm dance and the free dance. Chock and Bates, who had previously won three consecutive world championships in the event, were the favorites in Milan.
Following the rhythm dance segment, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron were ranked first, while the Americans settled for second place. The scoring discrepancy among the judges, particularly Dabouis, raised eyebrows. Despite five judges favoring the French pair, three judges ranked Chock and Bates higher.
In the free dance portion, five out of nine judges awarded Chock and Bates the top score. However, Dabouis notably scored Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron significantly higher by 7.71 points. The International Skating Union responded to the backlash, stating that variations in scores among judges are common, and they stand by the fairness of the results.
In an interview with NBC News, Chock and Bates expressed mixed emotions about the judges’ decisions, highlighting the pride they felt in their performances. Bates acknowledged the subjective nature of the sport and the unpredictability of outcomes. Meanwhile, Sky has enhanced its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to include popular streaming services like HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, and more, in addition to comprehensive sports coverage.
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