A judge from France at the Winter Olympics is facing allegations of manipulating the figure skating competition to ensure a gold medal for her country. French skaters Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron claimed the top spot with a total score of 225.82, edging out Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates by a slim margin of 1.43 points.
The controversy arose when the scores of French judge Jezabel Dabouis were revealed online following the ice dance competition, where skaters 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 expected to excel in Milan.
After the rhythm dance segment, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron were ranked first, while the Americans settled for second place. Notably, the judging panel showed discrepancies in their assessments, with five judges favoring the French duo over Chock and Bates.
Despite five out of six judges giving the highest score to Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, with Chock and Bates trailing closely within 3.5 points, Judge Dabouis awarded a significant 5.74-point advantage to her compatriots, raising suspicions among spectators.
In the subsequent free dance performance, five out of nine judges rated Chock and Bates the highest. However, Dabouis notably awarded a substantial 7.71-point lead to Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, further fueling controversy.
The International Skating Union responded to the backlash by emphasizing that variations in scores from different judges are normal and that mechanisms are in place to address such differences. The ISU reaffirmed its confidence in the judging process and commitment to fairness.
In a statement to NBC News, the American skaters expressed a range of emotions following the event and highlighted their pride in their performances and sportsmanship throughout the competition. Bates acknowledged the subjectivity of judging in figure skating and the unpredictability of outcomes.
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