Chock and Bates win third consecutive World title
2025 World Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance
USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates took their third consecutive world title on Saturday in Boston, Mass., at the TD Garden arena. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada maintained second place to earned silver, their fourth world medal at this event. Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson captured the bronze—the first medal for Great Britain ice dance team since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean took gold in 1984.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
The two-time and defending champions took nearly a five-point lead in with their entertaining and high-energy rhythm dance to “Journey Through the Decades.” The opening twizzles were sharp and graded a level four, as did the final rotational lift. Both skaters received a three for the midline and pattern steps while earning high grades of execution (GOE) on all elements. They posted a season’s best score of 90.18.
“This was so fun, honestly. We really love this routine, maybe biggest joy I had during a performance ever,” said Chock. “We love dance and this program really showcases so many styles of dance, and it comes with a lot of joy.”
“The crowd was unbelievable!” added Bates. “When I was doing the last lift, I heard the noise; it was an unbelievable atmosphere! I love skating with Maddie, she’s, I think the best in the world. I love being out there with her.”
The team reminisced about their appearance at this event in Boston nine years ago.
“I remember 2016 very fondly,” said Bates. “I remember having a full crowd and a lot of joy and support and today it was the same. From the five-minute warm up to the introductions, all the way through. It was so fun!”
“We love Boston. We’ve been here multiple times,” Chock chimed in. “We came here for camp in August, and we got to tour the city. This time we haven’t been doing too much sightseeing because we’ve got our focus set on the ice. It feels great to close out our season with a great performance.”
The three-time Four Continents champions entranced the audience with their sophisticated and jazzy free dance to Take Five. They showed crisp movements in their laid-back routine as they produced level four twizzles and level three footwork. The dance spin, rotational lift and curve lift were graded a level four, but they lost a level on the stationary lift. They also received an attention call on their choreographic twizzle, but all other elements received mostly +4 and +5 GOES from the judges. They finished first with 131.88 in the free dance and won the event with a total score of 222.06.
“I am just elated!” said Chock. “It was unbelievable! It almost felt unreal, and the performance went by so quickly. I felt like we really just like flowed through everything with ease and flow and just so present for each moment. It was really special to feel that and share that with Evan and the audience. And then have that home crowd standing ovation at the end is unbelievable!”
“It means beyond words I can’t really describe,” said Bates of their gold medal, “but I’m just so grateful for the performance and the home crowd and the moment at the end. It feels a 100% better than last time.”
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier
Gilles and Piper stayed animated and in character throughout their playful rhythm dance to tunes by The Beach Boys and The Surfaris. The three-time World medalists lost a level on their twizzles and pattern steps, but the rotational lift was graded a level four. They placed second with 86.44 points.
“We actually have fun memories from our last worlds nine years ago here,” said Poirier. “Today was really fun with the crowd and overall, we had just so much fun! We really drilled this program to the max in training, so we felt really prepared.”
“Everything in training went really well recently,” agreed Gilles. “We felt really prepared and confident for this event.”
Poirier recalled that the last worlds in Boston in 2016 that it was their first time to skate in the last group in the free dance.
“That was a milestone in our career,” he reflected. “Now, of course, there’s much more expectations. We’re aiming for medals. But thinking back at the time, what aspirations we had and realizing we’ve reached these aspirations, now is really an honor.”
The 2025 Four Continents champions delivered a beautiful, yet difficult, free dance to Whiter Shade of Pale which featured level four lifts, twizzles, and dance spin. The one-foot steps were awarded a level two, while the midline steps garnered a level three and two. The team racked up tons of high GOEs throughout and finished second in this segment and overall (130.10 / 216.54).
“We were so settled from the moment it started,” said Gilles. “It was the calmest we’ve felt all year. We just wanted to enjoy this program one last time. To put it out on the ice when it really counts is so special. I’m so proud of us! I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that emotional after a program. We felt so at ease; it was a great experience.”
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson
The two-time European silver medalists gave an exciting rhythm dance to Le Freak and Superstition, picking up a level four on the twizzles and rotational lift. While the pattern steps only garnered a level one, all elements received high GOEs, and they finished third in this segment with 83.86 points.
“I think today we had the most blast all season,” said Fear. “It was fantastic! It’s the way we want it. Of course, there are nerves. If there weren’t nerves, something probably would be wrong. But we had the most fun out there.”
On being the best European team right now, Lilah said: “It just shows really that every competition is different. For us, this doesn’t change anything. We want to, of course, seize the moment, seize the opportunity, and just go out there tomorrow and give our all.”
Gibson said that it may appear from the outside that they had a brilliant season but said it actually quite challenging for them.
“We had to do a lot of changes in the programs,” he explained. “There was my incident in Finland. So it wasn’t all easy, but these challenges made us grow and made us stronger.”
They were also thrilled that teammates Bekker and Hernandez qualified for the free dance.
“We had a few training sessions with them today,” said Fear. “They are doing so well, and it’s… I’ve been seeing their progress over the last season, and it makes us so happy to see another British team being successful.”
Fear and Gibson put out vibrant and crowd-pleasing performance to music by Beyoncé, giving everything they had. The 2024-25 Grand Prix Final bronze medalists showed received a level three and four on the twizzles and lost a level on their curve lift. The stationary lift was graded a level four, but received a one-point deduction for being extended. They finished sixth with 123.25 points, and with a total score of 207.11, were able to maintain third place overall for the bronze.
“I can’t even describe my feelings, I’m still shaking!” said Fear. “Its a dream come true, and I’m kind of in disbelief. But I’m so grateful for the results! We just wanted to enjoy today. It’s easier said than done because of all the pressure and everything, but we really told ourselves, ‘We want to enjoy this crowd, we want to enjoy this moment,’ and I’m so glad we did that.”
“The crowd here was amazing, and insane!” added Gibson. “I think we got to the moment we really worked for. They were so loud and supportive, and we are thankful for the audience.”
On this being Great Britain’s first World medal since 1984, Gibson said, “This is crazy, right? Being the first medal for Great Britain in the World Championships since Torvill and Dean in 1984—it’s just unbelievable. We’ve been compared to them a lot, and I love it every time. It’s such an honor. I was inspired by them, and I hope so much that there are little kids out there in Great Britain seeing this and wanting to put their skates on as well.”
Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri
Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy finished fourth after their delightful rhythm dance with a score of 83.04. The twizzles were graded a level three and two, while the midline steps were a two and three. One of the highlights was their level-four rotational lift.
“Yeah, there were a few mistakes today,” noted Fabbri. “It wasn’t flawless, but also it didn’t feel bad. Still, we were a bit tense today, not that relaxed. I don’t think it has anything to do with not being able to train in the main rink. It was okay for us. Still, sometimes the schedule seems a bit unfair, but really, I don’t think that was the problem for us today. We have to go back and watch the video because the twizzles level two and three is really bad.”
The 2024 World bronze medalists placed fourth in the free dance with 123.42 points. Their remarkable and technically difficult routine included level-four twizzles and good one-foot and circular steps, but they lost a level on the straight-line lift. The rotational and stationary lifts were a level four, as was the dance spin. While they had the third highest program component scores, they missed the third spot on the podium by less than a point with a total score of 206.46.
“I can’t really explain it right now,” said a disappointed Guignard. “We actually felt good; we felt less stress than yesterday. Our preparations and training went really well, so I really don’t know what happened.”
When asked about participating in World Team Trophy, she said, “I’m just really tired right now. But we will have two weeks at home in Italy. Even though it’s the same skaters, World Team Trophy always has a different vibe. It’s more fun. So yeah, maybe it will be a good opportunity to end the season on a higher note.”
Of their free dance, she commented, “Yeah, I don’t know. It seems like a lot of people just didn’t like it.”
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko
USA’s Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko produced a seamless and fun rhythm dance to music by Etta James and Little Richard to score a new personal best of 81.51 points. The twizzles were solid, receiving a level four, as did the rotation lift. The pattern and midline steps earned a level three, and the two-time Four Continents bronze medalists finished a close sixth.
“Today felt amazing!” said Ponomarenko. “It was not our very best skate at nationals, but we were building up during Four Continents. Now we really feel like we’re at our best and gave our best today.”
“It would have been nice to have a little more skating time on the main rink, but we actually came here every day to just feel the energy,” added Carreira. “Also, today we sat a little bit in the stands to just take it all in.”
Carreira and Ponomarenko fully embodied the characters in their free dance to music from the Carmen Suite, showing good musicality throughout. The four-time Grand Prix medalists produced level-four twizzles, lifts and dance spin. The one-foot and serpentine steps were graded a level three, and they earned +3 and +4s on all elements. They scored a new personal best of 123.37 for fifth place in the free dance and moved up to fifth place overall (204.88).
“It was really good!” said Carreira. “I’m happy with what we put out there. We are very excited! Every year we find it all feels very different. Every year’s just growth. I think this Worlds is going to give us more confidence and just more experience going into next season.”
“We came here with a job to do, and we feel like we did it,” added Ponomarenko. “Now it’s time to learn more, but it’s sad to say goodbye to these programs.”
Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck
Spain’s Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck produced a sophisticated and crowd-pleasing rhythm dance for a new personal best score of 77.21 points. Unfortunately, they lost a level on the twizzles which were graded a level three, but the curve lift was graded a level four with high GOEs.
“We were very happy with today’s skate,” said Smart. “It felt very good. Regardless of how it feels, it doesn’t automatically mean that it looked good to the judges. Maybe they saw some technical errors, so I was very glad to see the high score. It was our goal to improve from Europeans, and that’s what we did.”
The 2024 Skate America bronze medalists put out theatrical and captivating free dance to music from Dune. They executed strong level-four lifts and twizzles, but Dieck lost a level on the midline steps which were graded a level three and two. The one-foot steps were a level three, and the team brought the crowd to their feet at the end of their routine. They scored a new season’s best of 123.71 for third place in this segment and moved up to sixth place overall with 200.92 points.
“I was so emotional all day, and during the skate, I was completely in character,” said Smart. “It felt amazing!”
“Today, it really felt like we were inside the movie,” Dieck added. “Right after the skate, I told Olivia, ‘You are an absolute superstar,’ and then I started crying.”
“We love the American crowd!” said Smart. “We have such a good connection here. We got our first Grand Prix medal in the U.S., and our very first Grand Prix was at Skate America last season. Every time we skate in America, the energy from the crowd just gets better and better.”
Smart relayed there’s a 50/50 chance on whether or not they will keep their free dance for next season.
“People have been asking us about that option before we even considered it ourselves,” she divulged. “We do have another strong idea for next season, but we need to weigh our options carefully going into the Olympic season.”
Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha
Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha gave a lively rhythm dance to Austin Powers that featured level-three pattern and midline steps. The twizzles were graded a level three and four, while the rotational lift garnered a level four. The two-time Four Continents bronze medalists scored 81.77 for fifth place.
“Today was good,” said Lagha. “It was actually a little bit of fun, so that’s good.”
Asked what made the difference since competition is usually never fun for him, he said, “Well, after the twizzles, after the first elements, you get more relaxed, more into it, and you can actually enjoy it more.”
Lagha added that the last few weeks had been “tiring” and that it’s been a “long season in the locker rooms.”
“Everyone is just so tired and exhausted, but of course, we went for the last final push,” he said.
The six-time Grand Prix medalists showed lots of speed and attack in their expressive and rousing free dance to The Sound of Silence by Disturbed and Murky Solitude by Karl Hugo. Their routine was highlighted by level-four twizzles and lifts, but the dance spin was graded a level three. Lajoie also lost a level on the diagonal steps, which were graded a two and three. They finished eighth in this segment, slipping two spots to seventh place overall (118.64 / 200.41).
“I have mixed feelings right now,” said Lajoie. “I was so emotional and happy when we finished the skate because the performance felt really good. But then the score came up, and it was definitely lower than we expected. The placement also didn’t match our expectations, so we really need to go back and review the video.”
“All I feel right now is that I really want to go back to work,” said Lagha. “I want to improve everything, our skating skills, our connection with each other, and technically, just everything. I really just want to get back to training.”
Lajoie is excited about her upcoming girls’ trip to New York with Alicia Fabbri and Lia Pereira. “I’m so excited to spend some holiday and off-time in New York with those two,” she said. “And then, of course, go back to work.”
Rounding out the top 10
Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud of France repeated their eighth-place finish from last year with 194.63 points. The 2025 European silver medalists put out two strong programs, and their provocative free dance showed lots of improvement in terms of intricacy.
“I think the moment we really realized we had made a step forward this season was at the European Championships when we secured the second spot,” said Lopareva. “Also, being in the last warm-up group in the rhythm dance here at Worlds really gave us the feeling that, ‘Yeah, we are right there.’ We’ve made real improvements. It was a very successful season for us, but this championship also made me realize that I need some rest.”
The team will next participate in some Holiday on Ice shows and possibly the World Team Trophy.
“So vacation will have to wait a little longer—probably until May,” said Brissaud. “After that, we’ll head to Montreal to create our new programs for next season.”
USA’ s Carolina Green and Michael Parsons placed ninth (192.47) in their second appearance at this event. Parsons said that the biggest take away from this event is that they’re “back.”
“We put down two skates we’re really proud of,” he said. “Neither were perfect, but when are we ever perfect? So, we’re really happy with today and looking forward to next season.”
“I feel so good,” added Green. “Any time we get to skate in front of a crowd like this, we’re so incredibly blessed and lucky. And just to have another experience with that type of pressure going into the Olympic season, we’re so honored.”
Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin of Georgia finished 10th (190.50), two spots higher than last year.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but it’s definitely something we’re proud of,” said Smolkin of obtaining an Olympic spot. “We’re very glad about how things worked out for us. Health is most important. We hope to stay healthy and then become two-time Olympians.”
Smolkin added that they learned how to overcome some of the mental struggles they’ve had in the past.
“Now, it feels like those are just demons from the past,” he said.
Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis of Finland nearly didn’t qualify after Versluis took a fall during the midline steps. They edged out Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, who also had a fall, for the 20th spot going into the free dance. They finished 11th overall (188.95).
The 2023 European bronze medalists said they were hopeful this would be the best event of the season for them and that they were very well prepared. They were in a state of shock after their performance. However, they felt much better after the free dance.
“Yesterday was an absolute roller coaster of emotions when we learned in the locker room that maybe there was a chance we would get to skate this free dance again,” said Turkkila. “It felt like a gift, and we are so happy we could end our season with a happy memory. I am sad that we have to let this program go. That was actually my thought in the Kiss & Cry, I miss it already. But at the same time, we’re thrilled to create something new.”
When the team met up with Reed and Ambrulevicius in the locker room, they “shared their grief” and tried to be there for each other.
“We’re all good friends, and we really felt for them,” said Turkkila.
Versluis said his happiest moments in Boston was the moment after the free dance and when he first “bit into a lobster roll.”
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