{"id":210,"date":"2026-03-31T07:51:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=210"},"modified":"2026-03-31T07:51:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:51:28","slug":"winter-olympics-scandal-erupts-as-judge-accused-of-rigging-result-for-her-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=210","title":{"rendered":"Winter Olympics scandal erupts as judge accused of &#8216;rigging&#8217; result for her country"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_548649\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">The Winter Olympics has been engulfed in further controversy after the judges&#8217; scores in the figure skating ice dance emerged, with France&#8217;s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron having won gold<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\">13:09, 13 Feb 2026<\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated 15:01, 13 Feb 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36718142\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 11: Gold medalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of Team France celebrate during the medal ceremony for the Figure Skating Ice Dance on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Tang Xinyu\/VCG via Getty Images)\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718142.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2261366261.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718142.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_GettyImages-2261366261.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718142.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_GettyImages-2261366261.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718142.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2261366261.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron's win has become shrouded in controversy\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron&#8217;s win has become shrouded in controversy<cite aria-label=\"Image: Tang Xinyu\/VCG via Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Tang Xinyu\/VCG via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A French judge at the Winter Olympics has been accused of rigging the figure skating in order to secure the gold medal for her country. France&#8217;s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron took home gold with a total score of 225.82.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The couple accumulated just 1.43 more points than Team USA&#8217;s Madison Chock and Evan Bates. But the result has become shrouded in controversy after the scores of French judge Jezabel Dabouis emerged online.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In figure skating&#8217;s ice dance competition, the paired skaters must perform two different routines across two days: the rhythm dance and the free dance. Chock and Bates had won three successive world championships in the same event and were the favourites in Milan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">After the<!-- --> rhythm dance section on Monday, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron were scored in first place while the Americans had to settle for second. Five judges gave Frane the higgest score whereas only three had Chock and Bates top of the pile, but the discrepancy among certain judges was eye-catching.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!<\/strong> <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MirrorSport#\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"\/><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><u>All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_09d958\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Sex-mad Winter Olympics stars run out of condoms in three days despite 10,000 freebies<\/span><\/span><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_09d958\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Olympics fan arrested after 16 YEARS on the run as decision to support country backfires<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Five of the six judges who rated Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron&#8217;s routine the highest still had Chock and Bates within 3.5 points of them. But Dabouis gave her compatriots 5.74 more points than Chock and Bates, comfortably the greatest advantage among the judges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">When the free dance was completed on Wednesday, five of the nine judges scored Chock and Bates highest. Interestingly, Dabouis rated Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron&#8217;s routine a huge 7.71 points higher.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Not a single judge who rated Chock and Bates in first place for the free dance gave them more than a 4.1-point advantage over eventual winners Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, including an judge from the United States. The International Skating Union has since issued a statement following the backlash.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A spokesperson said: &#8220;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 ISU has full confidence in the scores given and remains completely committed to fairness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">BACK THE MIRROR! <u>Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search<\/u><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-36718135\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36718135\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 11: Silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of Team United States celebrate during the medal ceremony for the Figure Skating Ice Dance on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Tang Xinyu\/VCG via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718135.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2261366270.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718135.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_GettyImages-2261366270.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718135.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_GettyImages-2261366270.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36718135.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2261366270.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Madison Chock and Evan Bates came second to take home silver\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Madison Chock and Evan Bates came second to take home silver<cite aria-label=\"Image: Tang Xinyu\/VCG via Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Tang Xinyu\/VCG via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">On Thursday, the Americans spoke to <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/sports\/olympics\/chock-bates-scoring-controversy-french-judge-winter-olympics-rcna258736\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">NBC News<\/a> and were asked about the judges&#8217; scores. After exchanging glances, Chock replied: &#8220;We&#8217;ve certainly gone through a roller coaster of emotions, especially in the last 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;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&#8217;ve got a lot to be proud of.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Following the event, Bates commented: &#8220;I feel like life is sometimes you can feel like you do everything right and it doesn&#8217;t go your way, and that&#8217;s life and that&#8217;s sport. And it&#8217;s a subjective sport. It&#8217;s a judged sport.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContentsEmbed_affiliate-contents-container__oTiet\" data-testid=\"affiliate-contents-embed\">\n<div data-testid=\"affiliate-content\" class=\"AffiliateContent_affiliate-content-container__10EX_ affiliate-content\">\n<p>Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-disclaimer__dG5ST\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-text__8nmDa\">This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. 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