Olympians Madison Chock And Evan Bates Show That Grace Is More Valuable Than Gold

When the scores came in, I was shocked. 

Like everyone else watching the event, I believed the American figure skating team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates had done all they needed to secure gold on February 11. 

But that’s not what French judge Jezabel Dabouis believed. She submitted a score that secured gold for the French team. It was a surprise to anyone who’d seen the skating. To us, it seemed unjust, unfair. And not at all what the Olympics are supposed to be about. 

Indeed, in the wake of a ruling that would crush anyone—to think you’ve won gold and then to see your medal ripped from your grasp—Chock and Bates did the unthinkable. 

They didn’t complain, they didn’t even submit an appeal 24-hours later. 

Instead, they smiled and accepted their silver. 

French skaters Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron took the top prize to their homeland. Not the Americans. 

But that’s not what left an indelible mark on me—sports travesties happen. Just as in life, though, it’s about how you recover, not how you fall. That’s what Chock and Bates have shown the world in the days since the controversy. 

Two nights after the event, by some divine coincidence, I found myself in a skybox in Milan watching another Olympic competition. And guess who should walk in? 

Chock and Bates.

I stood face-to-faces with the two skaters (and married couple). Graciously, they answered every question I could think of, including: The world wanted you to trash that French judge and you had every right to do that, but instead you both smiled and accepted the silver. How?

I wanted to know the source of their grace in what so many thought was their darkest moment. 

But that’s when Chock replied with something I’ll never forget. She said, “We’ve been doing this a long time. There have been times when we haven’t skated our best and we won. And there have been times when we skated better than everyone and lost.” 

She paused. 

“And you learn to smile and handle both in a way that shows who you are.” 

I shook my head in wonderment. How amazing.

Those following the story know that Chock and Bates have handled themselves this way the entire time. Directly after the event, Chock lamented the confusion viewers likely felt at home, not the fact she and her husband weren’t holding gold. 

“Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport,” Chock said. 

In a world where every person seems on the hunt for a reason to explode, Chock and Bates were thinking about the sport that put them in the spotlight, not what trophy or medal they were missing.

For the duo, it wasn’t about winning at all costs. They didn’t file an appeal, they didn’t complain to anyone holding a press pass. They didn’t rage. 

It wasn’t about a bitter gold. 

Instead, they held their heads high and showed their true character. 

Sports are supposed to be about merit. They’re supposed to be honest. If you outdo your opponent, as many believe Chock and Bates did, you’re supposed to get the reward. But what happens when the system falters? 

For Chock and Bates, it meant getting up and facing the music. Just like always. And if that meant walking away with a contended silver, so be it. Keep skating—not for gold. But because doing what you love is what matters most.

“We’ve been falling our whole lives,” Bates told me. “Getting up is really all that matters.”