Madison Chock, Evan Bates shine with improved showing at Skate America

LAKE PLACID, NY — Madison Chock and Evan Bates have been doing plenty of winning over the past year.

Three-time reigning world champions, four-straight United States titles and back-to-back Grand Prix final victories.

But one title they didn’t capture in the 2024-25 season was Skate America, finishing second after winning the event in 2022 and 2023. 

This time around, the U.S. stars don’t look like they’re going to be denied again after a dominant showing in their first performance of 2025 Skate America. Chock and Bates finished first rhythm dance on Saturday, Nov. 15 with a score of 84.77.

With Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada in second place at 77.42 and France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud at third with 76.72, the American couple are poised to finish first with a healthy lead heading into the free dance on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Chock and Bates improve from Cup of China

Going fully into their “90s kids” era, Chock and Bates had a Lenny Kravitz-inspired rock performance that was truly “a save the best for last” moment in the show, taking the ice after the other nine competitors.

It certainly helps rock when it’s the music that defined your youth.

“There’s so much nostalgia for the 90s,” Chock said. “The 90s is really fun for us to perform. A lot of fun listening for music, and I just love skating to Lenny Kravitz. He’s got so much energy and style and carries himself and it comes through in his voice and his music. So we really try to embody that for the audience.”

From start to finish, the couple wowed the crowd inside Herb Brooks Arena, and they didn’t need to hear the judges’ results to know Chock and Bates were going to be at the top of the standings.

The score they received was slightly better than the one they received at the Cup of China three weeks ago. The biggest change in the scoresheet came from the ending, which the couple executed to a tee.

While it is just a slight change in score, they felt like there was a big difference in the showing in Lake Placid.

“We definitely made a lot of improvements,” Bates told USA TODAY Sports. “We felt good about it. There’s obviously a lot of room for growth and improvement as the season goes on with both programs, but we’re happy with just in two weeks, how much progress we can make.”

Chock and Bates’ showing was just a testament to their position in ice dance. In September, they were ranked No. 2 in the International Skating Union’s world standings, just behind Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain, who coincidentally won 2024 Skate America over Chock and Bates.

Given all of the success they’ve achieved recently, one could assume the couple made it a mission to take home the title in Skate America, completing some unfinished business.

However, they didn’t even remember that they finished second last year when asked about it. Rather, it’s all about “focusing on the present and what’s to come,” Chock said. 

So far, they are skating like they are ready to claim that top spot in the world. They are well on their way to making it to Milan for the 2026 Winter Games in February, where they will try to win their first medal in ice dance after being a part of the gold medal-winning team event in 2022.

“We’re really looking to put our best feet forward and perform our best,” Chock said. “We learn and grow from competition to competition, and think we’re in a really good place heading into the next event.”