The Inside Edge is a column by Faith Bonds about figure skating.
I’ll admit it, I wrote Madison Chock and Evan Bates off.
After their glorious Olympic moment at the 2018 Games turned to disaster—when two falls dropped them to 12th place in the free dance and ninth overall—I thought it was time for the couple to hang up their skates.
They had already mounted plenty of accomplishments, including two World and Grand Prix Final medals. It seemed that after the Olympic disappointment, there wasn’t much left for them to contribute.
But then Chock and Bates turned their training approach upside down.
They ended their seven-year stint with coach Igor Shpilband, uprooting from Novi, Michigan to work with the legendary Marie-France Dubrueil in Montréal. Training alongside four-time world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaime Cizeron, as well as national rivals Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue, brought a renewed sense of inspiration to a team in desperate need of revival.
When Hubbell and Donohue debuted their much-anticipated “A Star is Born” free dance at Skate America last month, I was underwhelmed. The two-time reigning national champions put out a decent performance, but it didn’t have the magic I expected from the team gunning for Olympic gold. For the first time in almost three years, I saw the door open for another team to claim the top spot in U.S. ice dance.
Enter Chock and Bates.
The team has been working quietly under Dubrueil’s tutelage, performing at minor competitions and sharpening their choreography to prepare for the season’s big moments. The result: their best program to date.
Chock and Bates’ “Egyptian Snake Dance” free program lit up the Grand Prix scene this fall. Performing two straight weekends at the Internationaux de France and Cup of China, the couple earned a pair of silver medals, almost certainly cementing a spot in what will be their fifth Grand Prix Final.
The free dance’s inventive choreography, stunning lift positions and mesmerizing character immediately hooked the viewer. Chock’s slinking movements transform her into a conniving serpent, and Bates matches her slither for slither.
Needless to say, the team is well on its way to edging out Hubbell and Donohue. Chock and Bates have already outscored their compatriots this season, putting up 128.21 points in their free dance at Cup of China compared to the 123.10 Hubbell and Donohue scored two weeks prior at Skate Canada International.
Though they still have some technical issues to iron out, especially in the rhythm dance, this couple is on a solid trajectory as the Grand Prix Final and Nationals approach. Under Dubrueil’s expert eye, Chock and Bates could threaten for a national championship and world medal in the new year.
I thought all was lost for this team, but clearly all it needed was a fresh perspective and some captivating material. As the season progresses and they continue to improve, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chock and Bates capitalized on their silver-medal momentum and slithered their way to the top of the national podium.
“The Inside Edge” runs every Wednesday.