Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, promised a spectacle of grace and power on ice, bringing together the world's elite figure skaters. But beyond the glittering medals, these Games presented unprecedented challenges, from geopolitical tensions shaping athlete participation to heated debates over judging decisions. It was a competition that truly tested the spirit of sport, both on and off the ice. The 2026 Games featured 'Individual Neutral Athletes,' a unique response to geopolitical conflict, allowing select Russian and Belarusian skaters to compete under strict conditions. Qualification pathways included dramatic last-minute reallocations and historic firsts for several nations, highlighting the intense global competition. The ice dance event became a focal point of controversy due to significant judging discrepancies for the gold medalists, sparking a major debate about fairness and transparency in scoring.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, promised a spectacle of grace and power on ice, bringing together the world's elite figure skaters. But beyond the glittering medals, these Games presented unprecedented challenges, from geopolitical tensions shaping athlete participation to heated debates over judging decisions. It was a competition that truly tested the spirit of sport, both on and off the ice.

Milan's Icy Embrace

The grandeur of the 2026 Winter Olympics brought the world's gaze to Milan, Italy, where the Milano Ice Skating Arena became a stage for unparalleled artistry and athleticism. From February 6th to 19th, figure skating fans witnessed breathtaking performances across five disciplines, each vying for Olympic glory.

The competition spanned the familiar individual battles of men's and women's singles, the synchronized beauty of pair skating, the rhythmic storytelling of ice dance, and the collective might of the team event. Each discipline showcased the pinnacle of human skill, pushing the boundaries of what's possible on frozen water.

A Shadow of Geopolitics

Leading up to the 2026 Games, the world watched as geopolitical events cast a long shadow over sports. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee made the difficult decision to suspend the National Olympic Committees of both Russia and Belarus.

However, a pathway was created for individual athletes. Russian and Belarusian skating federations could nominate one skater or team per discipline to compete as 'Individual Neutral Athletes,' or AINs. This meant they would compete without national symbols, undergoing a rigorous screening to ensure no support for the invasion or military ties.

Ultimately, a few remarkable individuals earned their place under this neutral banner. Russia's Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian, alongside Belarus's Viktoriia Safonova, successfully navigated this complex path, competing as AINs and adding a unique dimension to the Olympic narrative.

The Road to Milan

Securing a spot at the Olympics is a dream for any athlete, and the qualification process for Milan 2026 was fiercely competitive. A total of 142 quota spots were available, with National Olympic Committees limited to a maximum of 18 skaters overall.

The bulk of the spots, 83 in total, were decided at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships. The remaining highly coveted places were then allocated based on performances at the special 'Skate to Milano' event, serving as a final Olympic qualifier.

Historic Firsts and Unexpected Twists

Amidst the intense qualification, some nations made history. Lithuania's Meda Variakojytė became the first Lithuanian woman to qualify in single skating, while Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba marked a monumental achievement as the first Dutch pair skating team to reach the Winter Olympics.

Yet, not every dream was realized. Finland, for instance, had initially qualified for two ice dance spots, but one had to be relinquished when Yuka Orihara couldn't secure Finnish citizenship. This spot was reallocated to Sweden, paving the way for Milla Ruud Reitan and Nikolaj Majorov to make their own historic debut as Sweden's first Olympic ice dance team.

Similarly, Uzbekistan's qualified pairs spot vanished after Ekaterina Geynish and Dmitrii Chigirev dissolved their partnership. The quota was re-allocated to France, giving Camille and Pavel Kovalev their chance on the Olympic stage.

The Heat of Competition

When the skates hit the ice, the competition was electrifying. In the men's singles, Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov soared to gold, showcasing power and grace. The women's event saw Alysa Liu of the United States deliver a captivating performance, earning her the top spot on the podium.

Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara dominated the pairs event with their seamless lifts and intricate throws. And in ice dance, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France claimed the gold, though their victory would soon spark intense debate. The United States rounded out the top honors, securing the coveted gold in the team event.

Medal Table Dominance

When the final scores were tallied, certain nations clearly shone. Japan, with its deep pool of talent, led the overall medal count, securing six medals. The United States demonstrated its strength across disciplines, earning two golds and one silver.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	2	1	0	3
2	Japan	1	3	2	6
3	France	1	0	0	1
3	Kazakhstan	1	0	0	1
5	Georgia	0	1	0	1
6	Canada	0	0	1	1
6	Germany	0	0	1	1
6	Italy	0	0	1	1
Totals (8 entries)	5	5	5	15

Judging Under Scrutiny

While triumphs were celebrated, the ice dance event ignited a firestorm of controversy. The victory of France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron came under heavy scrutiny, with many questioning their gold medals given what appeared to be noticeable errors in their twizzle sequences during both their rhythm and free dances.

For those unfamiliar, a 'twizzle' is a traveling turn on one foot with one or more rotations, critical for synchronicity in ice dance. Any loss of control, an extra turn, or a mismatched speed can severely impact a score. Observers noted that the French pair seemed to exhibit such imperfections.

The controversy intensified when a deep dive into the judges' scores revealed a striking pattern. The French judge, Jézabel Dabouis, awarded Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States a free dance score of 129.74 — more than 5.20 points below the average of the other eight judges.

Conversely, Dabouis gave Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron a total score of 137.45, nearly three points above the average of the remaining judges. This significant discrepancy for both competing pairs fueled accusations of biased scoring, igniting a fervent debate among fans and experts alike.

In response to the outcry, the International Skating Union (ISU) issued a statement defending the process. They asserted confidence in the scores, highlighting the inherent variations in judging panels and the 'number of mechanisms used to mitigate these variations,' reaffirming their commitment to fairness. Still, the questions lingered, leaving an indelible mark on the memory of the 2026 figure skating events.

Article

Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The figure skating events at the 2026 Winter Olympics were held from 6 to 19 February at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy. Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, ice dance, and the team event. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the men's event, Alysa Liu of the United States won the women's event, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the pairs event, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France won the ice dance event, and the team from the United States won the team event.

The results of the ice dance event sparked some backlash when Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron won the gold medals despite obvious errors with the twizzle sequences in both their rhythm dance and free dance. Controversy arose when an examination of the judges' results revealed that the French judge gave Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States a total score that was significantly lower than the average score of the remaining eight judges, while, at the same time, awarding Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron a total score that was almost three points above the average score of the remaining judges. A spokesperson from the International Skating Union responded with a statement of confidence in the scoring process, highlighting the safeguards in place to account for rogue scoring.

Background

Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee suspended the Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus. The skating federations of Russia and Belarus were each permitted to nominate one skater or team from each discipline to compete at the Skate to Milano as a means to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs). Each nominee was required to pass a special screening process to assess whether they had displayed any support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine or had any contractual links to the Russian or Belarusian military. Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian, both of Russia, and Viktoriia Safonova of Belarus earned spots at the Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes.

A total of five events were contested: men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, ice dance, and the team event. All events were held from 6 to 19 February at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy.

Qualification

Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

A total of 142 quota spots were available to athletes to compete in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was allowed to enter a maximum of 18 skaters, with a maximum of nine men or nine women. The results of the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships determined 83 total spots: 24 entries each in men's and women's singles, 15 in pair skating, and 18 in ice dance. The remaining quota spots were allocated based on the results of the Skate to Milano.

<table><thead><tr><th>Nations</th><th>Men's singles</th><th>Women's singles</th><th>Pairs</th><th>Ice dance</th><th>Team event</th><th>Add.</th><th>Skater(s)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Armenia</td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td> Australia</td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td> Austria</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Azerbaijan</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Belgium</td><td></td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td> Bulgaria</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Canada</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td> China</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td> Czech Republic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td> Estonia</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td> Finland</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td> France</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td> Georgia</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td> Germany</td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td> Great Britain</td><td></td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td></td><td>1</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td> Hungary</td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td> Individual Neutral Athletes</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td> Israel</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Italy</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td> Japan</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td> Kazakhstan</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td> Latvia</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td> Lithuania</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td> Mexico</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Netherlands</td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td> Poland</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td> Romania</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Slovakia</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> South Korea</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td> Spain</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td> Sweden</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td> Switzerland</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td> Chinese Taipei</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Ukraine</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> United States</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>Total: 35 NOCs</td><td>29</td><td>29</td><td>19 teams</td><td>23 teams</td><td>10 teams</td><td>5</td><td>147</td></tr></tbody></table>

Entries

Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Countries began announcing their selections following the 2025 World Championships. The International Skating Union published a complete list of entries on 26 January 2026. Skaters or teams denoted with ● were eligible for the team event only.

Finland had originally qualified for two quota spots in the ice dance event at the 2025 World Championships; however, when Yuka Orihara was unable to obtain Finnish citizenship, Skating Finland ultimately relinquished their second quota spot. As a result, the spot was reallocated to Sweden, and Milla Ruud Reitan and Nikolaj Majorov became the first Swedish ice dance team to ever qualify for the Winter Olympics.

Additionally, Uzbekistan had originally qualified one quota spot in the pairs event after Ekaterina Geynish and Dmitrii Chigirev finished in tenth place at the 2025 World Championships. However, after Geynish and Chigirev ended their partnership, the spot was re-allocated to France, who chose to send Camille Kovalev and Pavel Kovalev.

Meda Variakojytė of Lithuania made history as the first Lithuanian woman to qualify for the Winter Olympics in single skating. Moreover, Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba of the Netherlands became the first Dutch pair skating team to qualify for the Winter Olympics.

<table><thead><tr><th>Nation</th><th>Men</th><th>Women</th><th>Pairs</th><th>Ice dance</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Armenia</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Australia</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Austria</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Olga Mikutina</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Azerbaijan</td><td>Vladimir Litvintsev</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Belgium</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Loena Hendrickx</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nina Pinzarrone</td></tr><tr><td> Bulgaria</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Alexandra Feigin</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Canada</td><td>Stephen Gogolev</td><td>Madeline Schizas</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> China</td><td>Jin Boyang</td><td>Zhang Ruiyang</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Chinese Taipei</td><td>Li Yu-Hsiang</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Czech Republic</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Estonia</td><td>Aleksandr Selevko</td><td>Niina Petrõkina</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Finland</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Iida Karhunen</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> France</td><td>Kévin Aymoz</td><td>Lorine Schild</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Adam Siao Him Fa</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Georgia</td><td>Nika Egadze</td><td>Anastasiia Gubanova</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Germany</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><td> Great Britain</td><td>Edward Appleby ●</td><td>Kristen Spours</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Hungary</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Individual Neutral Athletes</td><td>Petr Gumennik</td><td>Adeliia Petrosian</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>—N/a</td><td>Viktoriia Safonova</td></tr><tr><td> Israel</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Mariia Seniuk</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Italy</td><td>Daniel Grassl</td><td>Lara Naki Gutmann</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matteo Rizzo</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><td> Japan</td><td>Yuma Kagiyama</td><td>Mone Chiba</td><td></td><td>●</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kao Miura</td><td>Ami Nakai</td><td></td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><td>Shun Sato</td><td>Kaori Sakamoto</td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><td> Kazakhstan</td><td>Mikhail Shaidorov</td><td>Sofia Samodelkina</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Latvia</td><td>Fedirs Kuļišs</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Deniss Vasiļjevs</td></tr><tr><td> Lithuania</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Meda Variakojytė</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Mexico</td><td>Donovan Carrillo</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Netherlands</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Poland</td><td>Vladimir Samoilov</td><td>Ekaterina Kurakova</td><td></td><td>●</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Romania</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Julia Sauter</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Slovakia</td><td>Adam Hagara</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> South Korea</td><td>Cha Jun-hwan</td><td>Lee Hae-in</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kim Hyun-gyeom</td><td>Shin Ji-a</td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><td> Spain</td><td>Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Sweden</td><td>Andreas Nordebäck</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Switzerland</td><td>Lukas Britschgi</td><td>Livia Kaiser</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>—N/a</td><td>Kimmy Repond</td></tr><tr><td> Ukraine</td><td>Kyrylo Marsak</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td> United States</td><td>Ilia Malinin</td><td>Amber Glenn</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Maxim Naumov</td><td>Isabeau Levito</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Andrew Torgashev</td><td>Alysa Liu</td><td>—N/a</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Competition schedule

Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

All times were in local time (UTC+1), according to the official schedule as of December 2025.

<table><thead><tr><th>Date</th><th>Time</th><th>Event</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>6 February</td><td>09:55</td><td>Team event (rhythm dance)</td></tr><tr><td>11:35</td><td>Team event (pairs' short program)</td></tr><tr><td>13:35</td><td>Team event (women's short program)</td></tr><tr><td>7 February</td><td>19:45</td><td>Team event (men's short program)</td></tr><tr><td>22:05</td><td>Team event (free dance)</td></tr><tr><td>8 February</td><td>19:30</td><td>Team event (pairs' free skating)</td></tr><tr><td>20:45</td><td>Team event (women's free skating)</td></tr><tr><td>21:55</td><td>Team event (men's free skating)</td></tr><tr><td>9 February</td><td>19:20</td><td>Rhythm dance</td></tr><tr><td>10 February</td><td>18:30</td><td>Men's short program</td></tr><tr><td>11 February</td><td>19:30</td><td>Free dance</td></tr><tr><td>13 February</td><td>19:00</td><td>Men's free skating</td></tr><tr><td>15 February</td><td>19:45</td><td>Pair short program</td></tr><tr><td>16 February</td><td>20:00</td><td>Pair free skating</td></tr><tr><td>17 February</td><td>18:45</td><td>Women's short program</td></tr><tr><td>19 February</td><td>19:00</td><td>Women's free skating</td></tr><tr><td>21 February</td><td>20:00</td><td>Exhibition gala</td></tr></tbody></table>

Medal summary

Medalists

<table><thead><tr><th>Discipline</th><th>Gold</th><th>Silver</th><th>Bronze</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Men's singles</td><td>Mikhail Shaidorov  Kazakhstan</td><td>Yuma Kagiyama  Japan</td><td>Shun Sato  Japan</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Women's singles</td><td>Alysa Liu  United States</td><td>Kaori Sakamoto  Japan</td><td>Ami Nakai  Japan</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pairs</td><td>Riku Miura Ryuichi Kihara  Japan</td><td>Anastasiia Metelkina Luka Berulava  Georgia</td><td>Minerva Fabienne Hase Nikita Volodin  Germany</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ice dance</td><td>Laurence Fournier Beaudry Guillaume Cizeron  France</td><td>Madison Chock Evan Bates  United States</td><td>Piper Gilles Paul Poirier  Canada</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Team event</td><td> United States Ilia Malinin Alysa Liu Amber Glenn Ellie Kam Daniel O'Shea Madison Chock Evan Bates</td><td> Japan Yuma Kagiyama Shun Sato Kaori Sakamoto Riku Miura Ryuichi Kihara Utana Yoshida Masaya Morita</td><td> Italy Daniel Grassl Matteo Rizzo Lara Naki Gutmann Sara Conti Niccolò Macii Charlène Guignard Marco Fabbri</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Medal table

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Nation</th><th>Gold</th><th>Silver</th><th>Bronze</th><th>Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td> United States</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td> Japan</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td> France</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Kazakhstan</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td> Georgia</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td> Canada</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Germany</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Italy</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Totals (8 entries)</td><td>5</td><td>5</td><td>5</td><td>15</td></tr></tbody></table>

Records

Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The following new record high scores were set during this competition.

<table><thead><tr><th>Date</th><th>Skater(s)</th><th>Event</th><th>Segment</th><th>Score</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>16 February</td><td></td><td>Pair skating</td><td>Free skate</td><td>158.13</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Controversies

Figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The results of the ice dance event sparked some backlash, with media outlets questioning how Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France won despite notable errors with their twizzle sequences in both their rhythm dance and free dance. Controversy arose when an examination of the judges' results revealed that the French judge, Jézabel Dabouis, gave Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States a total score of 129.74 in the free dance, which was over 5.20 points lower than the average score of the remaining eight judges, while at the same time, Dabouis awarded Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron a total score of 137.45, which was almost three points above the average score of the remaining judges. A spokesperson from the International Skating Union (ISU) responded to the outcry: "It is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judges in any panel and a number of mechanisms are used to mitigate these variations. The ISU has full confidence in the scores given and remains completely committed to fairness."