Madison Chock, Evan Bates on life, figure skating after Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics ended more than two months ago, but Madison Chock and Evan Bates haven’t stopped.

Fresh off winning team event gold and their first ice dance Olympic medal, the decorated American figure skating couple have kept things moving. While the four-year cycle has wrapped up, there hasn’t been much time to process it all.

However, there is one thing noticeably different than a few months ago: the figure skating hype is palpable.

The Olympics is where stars are made, where a new American icon emerges every four years to captivate the country. It just so happens in 2026, there were plenty of stars coming from the ice.

Joining Chock and Bates is “Quad God” Ilia Malinin after his heroics clinched team gold and the stunning performance in the men’s competition, as well as the “Blade Angels” in Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito led by Olympic champion Alysa Liu, who grasped audiences of all demographics with her gold-medal winning free skate and viral gala program.

All of it has led to a special time in the sport, with the momentum far from done.

“It's been so exciting to see the excitement that people have for figure skating,” Chock told USA TODAY Sports. 

USA TODAY Sports spoke with Chock and Bates as part of their partnership with Nulo, the pet food brand that was behind their iconic Olympic pins that featured their dogs, Stella and Henry, that became hot commodities in Milano Cortina. 

You would think after all that time away from home and their fur babies, Chock and Bates would be able to relax and spend time with their “nucleus.” Think again. 

Bates noted they have been moving “non-stop” since leaving the Winter Games, only getting some time at home with Stella and Henry before they went back on the road. Going on Broadway, Oscars after-parties and now the "Stars on Ice" tour, which is touring across the U.S. through May, capitalizing on the sport in the spotlight.

The couple have noted there have been new audiences that are coming out to see them, thanks to Liu and company showing “a different side of the sport that maybe more people can relate to in that way.”

Reflecting on 2026 Winter Olympics, looking toward future

Of all the storylines that came out of figure skating at the Olympics, one of the most controversial was the ice dance results. Chock and Bates finished second behind the French team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron. Despite a flawless performance on the ice, the American pair were denied gold, thanks to some puzzling judging, notably from a French judge. 

Chock and Bates were emotional after they took silver in the event, with Chock saying a day later “it does a disservice to our sport” when “the public is confused by results.”

Now more than two months afterward, how does it feel?

“Sometimes we reflect on the memories in Milan, and honestly, so many of them are so positive that I think that's the overwhelming feeling: still it was a great success,” Bates said.

Like they’ve said several times since then, the couple feel like they skated the best they could inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Plus, winning two medals is still impressive. 

Constantly moving since the games has helped navigate the feelings from the results, but it hasn’t tainted the experience they had in their fourth Olympics together. Chock noted regardless, “our life will go on” and it doesn’t define them.

“When you're busy, like we are, it kind of helps you to work through the maybe less positive emotions that we felt,” Bates added. “I think when the dust settles and we look back, I think we're gonna have still just the best feeling about Milan and everything that we did.”

What added to the emotions was this was the belief 2026 would be the last Olympic appearance for the duo, with Chock, 33, and Bates, 37, wanting to go out on top after winning so many competitions in their 15 seasons together.

They didn’t compete in the 2026 world championships, which is ordinary for Olympians coming off the short turnaround. It completed the 2025-26 season, but there’s curiosity if they will compete again, especially now with the International Skating Union announcing the 2026-27 slate, which begins in October. 

At this time, Chock and Bates haven’t decided what their competitive future holds, just trying to enjoy life and see what else it has to offer.

“We're really allowing ourselves to have some time and space before we settle into any one thing in particular,” Chock said. “Skating has been such a huge part of our lives, and something that we want to really let it have its space. Let ourselves have some space and just kind of recalibrate and see what, what our next passion will be, and how we'll continue to stay involved in figure skating.”

Right now, it’s all about enjoying “Stars on Ice” with their fellow Olympians. Bates said his back feels good, something that had been nagging at him in the lead up to the Winter Olympics. Even with consistent performances every week, he said he’s been mostly pain free, a good indication for what their future could hold.

Whether it’s competing again or not, Chock and Bates are still proud to see where figure skating has come. 

“It was really cool to just see how much people watched figure skating at the Olympics, how into it they were and how excited they were about it. It's really great for our sport, and it feels really good to be part of something that has impacted so many people in such a positive way,” Chock said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's in the future for Madison Chock, Evan Bates after Olympics?