‘Rigging Scandal’ Explodes At Olympics As US Athletes Blow Whistle On Judges

The judging controversy swirling around the Winter Olympics intensified Friday, with Team USA ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates calling for greater transparency and urging that judges be “vetted,” as thousands of fans demanded an investigation.

French judge Jezabel Dabouis drew backlash after allegations she “rigged” her scoring to benefit France, elevating compatriots Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron to gold while marking down Chock and Bates, who finished with silver.

More than 14,000 fans signed a Change.org petition within 24 hours, pressing the International Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union to review the results. No formal probe has been announced.

The ISU said late Thursday it stands by the judging panel.

“It is normal for there to be a range of scores given by different judges in any panel and a number of mechanisms are used to mitigate these variations,” the statement read. The organization added it has “full confidence in the scores given and remains completely committed to fairness.”

Chock and Bates told CBS News they were troubled by the scoring and the broader perception of fairness.

“It would definitely be helpful if it’s more understandable for the viewers, to just see more transparent judging and understand… what’s really going on,” Chock said.

“I think it’s also important for the skaters, that the judges be vetted and reviewed to make sure that they are also putting out their best performance,” she added.

“There’s a lot on the line for the skaters when they’re out there giving it their all, and we deserve to have the judges also giving us their all and for it to be a fair and even playing field.”

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Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron captured gold at the Milan-Cortina Games on Wednesday, a result that stunned many observers.

Dabouis scored the French pair nearly eight points higher than Chock and Bates in the free dance. The margin was so large that, if her scores were excluded, the Americans would have taken gold.

Under ISU rules, competitors have limited options to challenge judging decisions unless the governing body opens an inquiry.

Critics pointed to Dabouis’ past scoring. At last year’s Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Japan, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron missed an element and fell — errors that typically push teams off the podium. Dabouis awarded them high marks, and they claimed silver.

She also posted a wide gap favoring the French team in the Olympic rhythm dance, where they again finished ahead of the Americans.

“Any time the public is confused by results, it does a disservice to our sport,” Chock said. “I think it’s hard to retain fans when it’s difficult to understand what is happening on the ice.

“People need to understand what they’re cheering for and be able to feel confident in the sport that they’re supporting.”

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