FIGURE SKATING
Chock & Bates, Fournier Beaudry & Cizeron favorites as Ice Dance starts with Rhythm Dance
08 Feb 2026
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A fierce battle for the Ice Dance podium will begin with the Rhythm Dance at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Monday, February 9.
The first segment of the Ice Dance competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena kicks off at 19.20 local time. Here's what to expect...
Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron are targeting success in Milan on Monday © Getty Images
Chock & Bates hot favorites but the challengers are ready
- Three-time & reigning ISU World Champions Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA), pictured above*, are the hot favorites.
- Chock & Bates won the ISU Grand Prix Final in December and hold the highest season's best score in the Rhythm Dance with 91.06 points, achieved in the Olympic Team Event on Friday.
- Reigning ISU European Champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) are only competing in their first season as a team but so far won every competition they entered, apart for the ISU Grand Prix Final, where they lost to Chock & Bates.
- Fournier Beaudry & Cizeron have a season's best of 89.98 points in the Rhythm Dance, also from the Team Event.
- In a deep Ice Dance field, several couples are aiming at the podium:
- Current ISU World silver medalists Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier (CAN)
- Reigning ISU World bronze medalists Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson (GBR)
- Three-time European Champions Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri (ITA)
- The five top contenders competed in the Rhythm Dance in the Team Event, where Chock & Bates finished first.
Quick Facts
- A total of 23 Ice Dance couples representing 15 NOCs are competing in the event.
- The top 20 couples after the Rhythm Dance advance to the Free Dance.
- The theme of the Rhythm Dance for the 2025/26 season is “The Music, Dance Styles and Feeling of the 1990s”.
- Of the 2022 Olympic Ice Dance medalists, only Cizeron is competing again with his new partner Fournier Beaudry.
*main picture credit: Getty Images
