A Winter Olympics French judge is under scrutiny for allegedly manipulating figure skating scores to ensure a gold medal for France. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France claimed the gold with a total score of 225.82, narrowly edging out Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates by just 1.43 points.
The controversy arose when the online revelation of French judge Jezabel Dabouis’ scores brought the result into question. Chock and Bates, who had previously won three consecutive world championships in ice dance, were favored to win in Milan.
Following the rhythm dance segment, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron were ranked first, with Chock and Bates in second place. While five judges rated the French duo highest, only three placed Chock and Bates at the top, highlighting significant variations among the judges.
Five out of six judges who scored Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron’s routine the highest still had Chock and Bates close behind by 3.5 points or less. However, Dabouis awarded her compatriots a substantial 5.74-point lead over the American pair, the most significant deviation among the judges.
In the free dance round, five out of nine judges awarded the highest score to Chock and Bates. Interestingly, Dabouis rated Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron’s performance a substantial 7.71 points higher.
Despite the judges’ discrepancies, the International Skating Union defended the scores, stating that variations among judges are normal, and mechanisms are in place to address them. The organization expressed confidence in the fairness of the scoring process.
Chock and Bates, in an interview with NBC News, reflected on their emotional rollercoaster experience and expressed pride in their performances at the Olympics. Bates acknowledged the subjective nature of the sport and the unpredictability of outcomes.
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