Olympian ice dance devastation

Olympic ice dancing couple takes a devastating fall on the ice, taking away their spot on the winter Olympic podium

On Monday, February 19th, at the 2018 Winter Olympic ice dancing long skate in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Madison Chock, and ice partner, Evan Bates, fell going into a spin combination in their program. 

According to USA Today, the couple took a tumble when their skates intertwined as Bates set Chock down from a lift and they moved into a spin together, ruining their chances of placing in the games. However, the Olympic ice dancers did not let the devastating fall stop them from finishing their dance. They continued their dance, gracefully completing their Lennon-inspired program. Unfortunately, Time Magazine reports the rare error resulted in a two-point deduction from their total score, and left them medal-less and in ninth place.  

Soon after the fall, a brief Facebook search revealed that despite the upset, the love and support of Chock and Bates’s fans did not waiver. One fan posted, “Madison Chock and Evan Bates are my heroes tonight. They had such an unfortunate fall in the middle of their ice dancing free program, but not only did they keep going; they finished with smiles on their faces, with passion, and with amazing moves.” This fan makes it evident that, although Chock and Bates did not win a medal, their perseverance to not give up will be recognized and remembered.