SPORTS LINE
Lying and cheating by judges is nothing new in the Olympics, and the former USSR is the one country that truly and blatantly did it, and now there’s the French.
The 24-hour window to appeal the results of the 2026 Winter Olympics ice dance competition passed. United States Figure Skating did not appeal the controversial ruling that led to a silver-medal finish for Team USA pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Chock and Bates finished a mere 0.43 points behind the French team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron in the ice dance event, and the judges’ scores drew public scrutiny.
The American pair trailed narrowly after the rhythm dance portion of the competition, and while five of nine judges awarded them a higher score than the French duo in the free dance, they still came up less than a point short. French judge Jezabel Dabouis gave the French team a score more than seven points higher than Chock and Bates. Dabouis gave Chock and Bates a 129.74-point score for their ice dance routine. She awarded Beaudry and Cizeron 137.45 points. The difference between those marks was the largest of any judge, and the score given to the Americans was the lowest of the judges. That scoring decision raised eyebrows and sparked concerns that Dabouis unfairly favored her home country’s team. But the International Skating Union issued a statement defending the judges’ decisions.
Giannis Antetokounmpo reiterated his commitment to the Milwaukee Bucks while also acknowledging his desire to be a winner and pursue a second title to go with the one he won in 2021.
Amid the uncertainty about his future, Antetokounmpo has publicly indicated his commitment to the Bucks. Shortly after the deadline passed, Antetokounmpo wrote “Legends don’t chase. They attract” in an Instagram post alongside an expletive-laden clip from the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character says he’s not leaving his job. He also told The Athletic in January that “There will never be a moment that I will come out and say, ‘I want a trade.'” Yet the rumors don’t stop. He stays loyal to the team and fans that drafted him and gave him the chance that he needed.
The Bucks will come out of the All-Star break at 23-30 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo has not played since Jan. 23 due to a strained right calf, though Rivers said last week that the Bucks have no intention to shut down their star player. Antetokounmpo doesn’t want anyone to think he quit on the Bucks, telling Andrews, “This is my team, and I love it.”
