Three-time Olympic medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates withdrew from the World Figure Skating Championships later this month, which would be their first time missing the event since 2012.
“We left it all on the ice in Milan,” was posted on their social media. “Our season feels complete with those four performances where we delivered our best. While we have decided not to compete at the World Championships, we hold dear the incredible memories from winning the last three years. Those achievements have meant so much to us. We couldn’t be more appreciative of the love and support we’ve felt from you all. Thank you.”
Chock and Bates, who won team gold and ice dance silver in Milan, withdrew on Monday and were replaced by Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, according to U.S. Figure Skating.
It’s common for skaters to miss the post-Olympic worlds due to fatigue and/or off-ice opportunities.
Chock and Bates won the last three world titles, becoming the first ice dance couple to three-peat since Russians Oksana Grishuk and Yevgeny Platov took four in a row from 1994-97.
After last March’s worlds, Chock said they were looking at the 2025-26 season as a “final chapter,” but they have not definitively announced that this was their last competitive season.
Bates was asked in the press conference following the free dance in Milan if it was their last Olympics.
“The aftermath of that is so immediate right now it’s really hard to say what the career plans will be, but TBD will let you know in the future,” he said.
In Milan, they earned dance silver behind France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who are in their first season together.
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron are entered at worlds in Prague from March 25-28 (airing on NBC Sports and Peacock.)
At least one U.S. dance couple won a world medal at every championships since 2015 thanks to Chock and Bates, Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (last worlds in 2017) and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (last worlds in 2022).
The top hope to extend that streak is now Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, who who will make their world debut together in Prague after placing fifth in their Olympic debut.
In addition to Chock and Bates’ absence, Italians Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri, who were fourth at the Olympics, are also not on the entry list for the Prague worlds.
