Madison Chock and Evan Bates reached the Olympic podium with a silver medal performance that capped years of steady progress on the ice. The American ice dancers secured their first individual Olympic silver medal at the Winter Games, delivering two confident skates that placed them just behind a po werful French duo. Their free dance, built on intricate footwork and sharp timing, earned some of the highest component scores of the night. Judges rewarded their precision and connection, keeping them in a narrow battle for the top spot until the final scores were tallied. Chock and Bates have competed together for more than a decade. During that time, they collected national titles and world medals, but an individual Olympic medal had remained out of reach. This time, they entered the Games as the reigning world champions and delivered a season-best performance when it mattered most. Their achievement adds to the United States’ history in Olympic ice dance and marks a defining moment in their careers. After years of near misses and close finishes, they leave the Games as individual Olympic medalists. ...read more read less