Sports
US Olympic figure skaters speak out on judging that denied them gold amid widespread questions
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Madison Chock and Evan Bates have responded to questions over judging in the recent Olympic ice dance pairs final.
The couple was looking to defend their gold medal, but came in second to the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
A French judge graded Beaudry and Cizeron higher than Chock and Bates, which ultimately helped thrust the French team to gold over the Americans. The judging has been the topic of controversy on social media, with some arguing that Chock and Bates should have graded higher.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States compete during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Chock and Bates were asked by NBC News how they felt about the judging.
“We’ve certainly gone through a roller coaster of emotions, especially in the last 24 hours,” Chock said. “And I think what we will take away is how we felt right after our skates and how proud we were of what we accomplished and how we handled ourselves throughout the whole week. Putting out four great performances at the Olympic Games is no small feat, and we’ve got a lot to be proud of.”
Chock and Bates were trailing the French couple by 0.46 of a point entering the free dance Wednesday night, and they were searching for their first ice dance Olympic medal with hopes that it would obviously be gold.
Their matador routine, dancing to a rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black” drew cheers from the crowd, and they finished with tears in their eyes.
They finished with 224.39 after notching a 134.67 score in their free dance.
Chock and Bates are two-time team gold winners after Sunday’s Team USA victory, but they had to watch one more routine to see if they could capture gold when Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron took the ice.
But the judges decided the French duo did enough to defeat the Americans in the end.
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Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States react to seeing that their scores earned them the silver medal after competing during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Beaudry and Cizeron scored a 135.64 in the free dance for a total of 225.82.
Chock and Bates were looking to experience receiving their gold medals on the podium after a delayed reception of their medals in the 2022 games.
Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals.
It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists.
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.
Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October.
“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”
Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”
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Silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States skate with their medals after competing in the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Francisco Seco/AP Photo)
Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics in summer 2024.
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Sports
Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong fined for vulgar response to female heckler: report
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Chicago Cubs star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was reportedly fined an undisclosed amount of money for his interaction with a Chicago White Sox fan on Saturday.
Crow-Armstrong, 24, was heckled by a fan after making a play during the fifth inning of the team’s 8-3 loss to the White Sox. He had a vulgar response to the female heckler.
“You suck my f–-ing d–k b—-,” Crow-Armstrong told the female fan.
Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs stands on deck in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field on April 21, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
The fine for Crow-Armstrong is undisclosed, ESPN reported. He said he regretted his actions on Monday.
“I think I just regret my choice of words the most and who that affects in my life, directly and indirectly,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I don’t think that any of the women in my life would ever think that I would use those kind of words regularly, especially referring to them.
“So I’m just bummed out about the word choice, and that a bunch of little kids go and probably find their way to social media and see that as well.”
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after getting hit by a pitch in the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on May 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he spoke with Crow-Armstrong and called fan interactions as part of the job.
“He made a mistake, and we’ve got to move on from it,” Counsell said before Chicago’s 9-3 loss to Milwaukee. “It’s a reality of this job. It happens. Fan interactions happen. You want to try to keep them positive, even when they’re not. Sometimes when it’s a really emotional situation, it’s difficult, but it’s still a requirement of the job.”
Crow-Armstrong is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball and made his first All-Star team last season. Last season, Crow-Armstrong hit .247 with 31 home runs and 95 RBI.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field on May 16, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)
This season, Crow-Armstrong has not had the same success. In 49 games, he has hit just .229 with five home runs and 20 RBI.
The Cubs (29-20) will take on the Milwaukee Brewers (28-18) in the final game of their three-game series on Wednesday at 7:40 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice ordered to 30 days in jail for probation violation after failing drug test
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice was taken into custody Tuesday and ordered to serve 30 days in jail after violating the terms of his probation stemming from a 2024 vehicle crash that left multiple people injured.
A spokesperson for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office said in an email to The Times that Rice had tested positive for THC, the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana. The fourth-year player out of Southern Methodist will remain in the Dallas County jail until June 16.
Based on that timeline, Rice will miss the Chiefs’ voluntary team workouts May 26-28 and June 1-3 and mandatory minicamp June 9-11.
“We are aware of the reports and have been in touch with the league office,” a Chiefs spokesman told the Associated Press, declining further comment. An NFL spokesperson told The Times that the league is “aware of the report” and also declined further comment.
Also on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Rice underwent surgery on his right knee last week to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation. Rice is expected to be ready for training camp this summer, according to Schefter.
The Chiefs did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment regarding Rice’s reported surgery.
Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail last July after pleading guilty to third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He was, however, granted flexibility as to when to serve his jail time and had not served it yet.
After his recent probation violation, the district attorney’s office spokesperson said, Rice was ordered to serve that jail time immediately.
On March 30, 2024, according to prosecutors, Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119 mph when made “multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic” and struck other vehicles, then fled the scene on foot without checking on anyone in the other vehicles.
He was suspended for the first six weeks of the 2025 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
In 28 games with the Chiefs, Rice has 156 receptions for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Lamar Jackson absent from Ravens OTA as new coach Jesse Minter downplays voluntary practice skip
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The Baltimore Ravens were without their two-time NFL MVP quarterback when Tuesday’s organized team activities (OTAs) began.
Why Lamar Jackson was absent from Tuesday’s media-open practice remains unclear. Monday’s voluntary OTAs were closed to reporters. New Ravens coach Jesse Minter offered little explanation but downplayed concerns about Jackson’s absence and suggested the star quarterback would return soon.
“Lamar’s been one of our leaders of the offseason program, and he had a couple things going on yesterday and today, and I do expect him to be back soon,” Minter said. “We’ve had some great conversations. I know when he’s going to be back and again, I’ll probably leave those between me and Lamar.”
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens watches the NFL preseason game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., on Aug. 23, 2025. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Minter replaced John Harbaugh, who was dismissed in January after 18 seasons as the Ravens’ head coach. The New York Giants hired Harbaugh shortly after his departure from Baltimore.
Jackson’s attendance at voluntary offseason activities has drawn attention because of its inconsistency throughout his NFL career. It’s hard to say how much that matters, but it’s certainly an issue critics have pointed to from time to time. His contract, with two years remaining, has also been a significant topic lately after he and the Ravens did not agree to an extension before the start of free agency. Baltimore instead restructured Jackson’s deal to create cap space.
LAMAR JACKSON HITS BACK AT CRITICS WITH FAITHFUL MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Ravens held minicamp in April — the first under Minter — and Jackson was in attendance.
At the end of Tuesday’s OTAs, the team took part in a little game in which players from the offense and defense competed at throwing medicine balls. Minter said that’s part of preparing the team to play well in the most important moments.
New Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is introduced during a news conference at Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Maryland, on Jan. 29, 2026. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
“We end practice every day (with an) ‘At our best when our best is needed’ period, and so that could be anything different. Today, we decided to do a little friendly competition,” Minter said.
“Right now, you can’t really do the football competition, and so I thought it would be something different, something fun. I try to get guys to not know what’s about to happen and answer the bell when their number’s called, and it’s as simple as that. That’s really all we’re trying to get done with that and make it fun, have the guys pull for each other.”
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 21, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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Star running back Derrick Henry caused a brief scare after a knee-to-knee collision with another player. Though he stayed down momentarily, he later returned to practice.
“The ground felt like a bed for a little while,” he said. “And I saw you all (reporters) looking hot and bored, so I was like, ‘I need to give them something to tweet and write about.’”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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