U.S. Figure Skating is reaching out to the International Skating Union to examine the judging of the recent Olympic ice dance event. They’re concerned that one judge’s score played a huge role in the outcome.
In this tightly contested competition, the French duo Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron narrowly beat American skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates by just 1.43 points. The judge in question, Jézabel Dabouis from France, gave Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron a score that was nearly eight points higher in the free dance than she did for Chock and Bates.
While Dabouis awarded the French team a standout score of 137.45, Chock and Bates received 129.74. What raises eyebrows is that Dabouis’s scores for the French pair were the only ones over 130 given to any competitor in that round. In fact, five out of nine judges had Chock and Bates leading at that point.
An insider mentioned, “The numbers really tell the story. Chock and Bates had 5 of the 9 firsts, so for the French team to win, the French judge needed to spread the points wide.” They stressed the need for a fair judging system to prevent such scenarios.
A letter detailing these concerns is likely to be sent soon. It’s worth noting that scoring in figure skating can be complex. Scores that determine rankings disregard the highest and lowest marks, which can obscure how individual judges evaluated the performances.
Dabouis had also given Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry a significant advantage in the rhythm dance, with a score of 93.34 being the only one over 87.6. They won both phases of the event, albeit by slim margins.
The ISU defended the integrity of the judging, stating, “It’s normal for judges to have differing scores, and we believe the process is fair.” Chock and Bates, who previously secured three consecutive world titles, expressed their confusion but maintained grace in discussing the outcome. Bates remarked, “We delivered our best. The rest is not up to us.”
The incident highlights the ongoing debate around transparency in judging, especially in subjective sports. As technology advances, there are calls for better methods to ensure fairness and reduce disparities in judges’ scores. The ISU has acknowledged the conversation but insists they are committed to maintaining the integrity of the competition.
For more on figure skating scoring systems, you can check out the International Skating Union’s official site.
