Chock and Bates Lead at 2025 Skate America, Eye Fifth Title

Lake Placid, New York – Madison Chock and Evan Bates took a commanding lead in the rhythm dance at the 2025 Saatva Skate America, positioning themselves for a potential fifth title on Saturday, November 15.

The American ice dance duo scored 84.77 points, creating a seven-point advantage over Canadian competitors Marjorie LaJoie and Zachary Lagha, who earned 77.42 points. The achievement places Chock and Bates on the verge of tying the record for the most Skate America titles, currently held by Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto.

This event marks Chock and Bates’ bid for their fifth crown since they first won Skate America in 2014, followed by titles in 2015, 2022, and 2023. With a strong performance to a medley featuring Lenny Kravitz, the duo received high marks across both technical and artistic elements, thrilling the crowd in Lake Placid.

“We’ve made a lot of improvements since Cup of China,” said Chock, 33. “We performed really well today, and I’m just really proud of how we skated and how we enjoyed the moment together.”

Chock and Bates’ momentum also brings them closer to securing a berth in the upcoming Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, where only the top six teams qualify. They began their Grand Prix season with a win at Cup of China three weeks ago, adding to their overall tally of eight Grand Prix golds.

France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud sit in third place with 76.72 points, while the American team of Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko fell to fifth after a rhythm dance score of 72.74.

As three-time reigning world champions, Chock and Bates have represented Team USA in three Olympic Games, achieving their best finishing position of fourth place at Beijing 2022. Chock remains optimistic about their upcoming Olympic campaign, emphasizing the value of their 15 years of partnership.

“We’ve really built upon every season, and I think there’s so much value that we take from each event, from competition to competition,” she said.

Beyond Chock and Bates, the 2025 Skate America features a variety of competitors, with Alysa Liu positioning herself for the top spot in the women’s short program, and Jason Brown leading the men’s event in fourth place.

The event continues with the free skate section on Sunday, where Chock and Bates aim to secure their historic fifth title.