Chock Wears Diamonds on her Finger, She and Bates Dream of Gold

Next month will mark 11 years since Madison Chock and Evan Bates announced their partnership as an ice dance team.
 
This month after attending the Ordinary ISU Congress in Thailand, the duo announced their commitment to make the partnership one that lasts forever.
 
"When you've been with somebody for a long time and you really spend a lot of time together, it's really hard to pull off any kind of surprise," Bates shared. "We were at the stage in our relationship where we would openly talk about where we might want to get married one day. So that we were going to get engaged was no secret, but I wanted to make the proposal a surprise."
 
While on tour with Stars on Ice, Chock and Bates made an appointment to go ring shopping at a vintage ring dealer during the New York City stop. As they were presented different options, Chock was particularly enamored by a unique piece from the 1920s art deco era.
 
"It was our first-time shopping, but it seemed like (Chock) really grew attached," Bates said. "Even the jeweler said that they had not seen a similar ring before. It was from her favorite era, and I tried to play it off like we could keep looking. I was trying to be a little coy, but when we left, I started to go through the process to buy it."
 
After the tour ended in June, the couple headed to Palm Springs, Calif., to visit with Chock's parents. A suspicious FedEx package containing the ring arrived, which Bates quickly intercepted and placed into the guest house, piquing Chock's curiosity.
 
"My mom played it off like it was a part for my dad's computer," Chock laughed. "If it would have been placed in any other room, it would have been fine."
 
Soon after, the reigning U.S. champions and Olympic silver medalists in the team event headed to Phuket, Thailand, to attend the ISU Congress, and once the meetings were over, Chock and Bates extended their stay to enjoy some rest and relaxation.
 
"Madi said that she was thinking that Thailand would be a great place to get engaged. Planning something so important is difficult," Bates admitted. "I kind of rehearsed my speech because I asked a friend who was recently engaged for advice, and he said to just know what you want to say."
 
Bates decided that he would share that the date, June 11, was significant to the couple because they had been skating together for 11 years and were a couple for the last six, making 6/11 a date significant to their relationship.
 
"Of course, it was pouring rain all day — like the worst weather of the whole trip. I thought that there wasn't much of a chance for a romantic moment on the beach or something," he said.
 
Fortunately, Bates had a cheering squad in Canadian pairs skater Eric Radford, Radford's husband Luis Fenero and some speed skaters who were in town for the Congress, all of whom encouraged him to find a way to make it work.
 
"We all bonded that week, so we were all hanging out that day," Bates said. "Any time Madi would leave the room, they would ask me how I was feeling, where I wanted them to be and if I wanted them to do anything. When the time came, they just gave [us] space to do it the way that I wanted—just the two of us, and then we could celebrate after."
 
Bates asked Chock to go for a casual walk on the beach, and when the time was right, he popped the question.
 
"I feel like once I realized what was happening, everything was going so fast," Chock recalled. "I was carrying a bunch of things and I just threw everything I was carrying right there on the sand to be able to give him my full attention."
 
Bates concurred, "I don't even remember her answer. I was so focused on what I was doing, and it was just a crazy experience. I remember I just got the vibe that was a yes based on the fact that we were hugging, crying, laughing and smiling, and [there] must have been a yes in there somewhere."
 
Now that they are engaged, Chock and Bates are beginning to start thinking about planning for the big day, but for now, their primary focus is to prepare for the 2022-23 season.
 
"We are in the very initial stages of planning," Bates shared. "So many of our friends are getting married in the next couple of years, and we want to make sure that our wedding isn't too close or in the same place. It's all very exciting but it's also daunting. It's a big event to plan, especially when we're still competing."
 
Now back at home in Montreal as the reigning World Championship bronze medalists, the duo has just started to get back to the grind.
 
"We have only been on the ice for three days as of today," Chock said last week. "We are exploring music and thinking about what we want to do. Our coaches have already put together something like 15 rhythm dances and 15 free dances, and they have a really good feel on what the new rules look like and what is working and what is not. That's a huge benefit for us to come in and getting a later start than we would in a normal year."
 
Though they have been back to the grind for such a short time, Chock and Bates both admit that they miss their training mates, World silver medalists Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, who have retired from competition, and World champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guilleme Cizeron, who are sitting out this season, among others.
 
"Our first day in the rink where we did a lot training leading up to the Olympics, I thought about them," Chock shared. "It's a little bit of missing them and a little bittersweet. There are so many fun memories. It's reminded me to slow down and appreciate those moments — to take some photos. In hindsight, I wish I would have appreciated it even more even if we knew that it was special."
 
After 11 seasons of competing together—Chock, who turns 30 on Saturday, and Bates, 33, know that their careers are winding down, but they have one more mountain that they would like to climb — to capture a World Championships crown.
 
The duo came close enough in 2015, missing out on the title by less than three points to the 2022 Olympic champions Papadakis and Cizeron and settling for silver — the best finish so far in their careers. Earlier this year, Chock and Bates found their way back on the podium at the global event, finishing in third place in Montpellier, France, but they want more. They have their sights set on taking that leap up to the top step of the podium next spring in Saitama, Japan, at the 2023 World Figure Skating Championships.
 
"The bronze medal was great, but we really wanted to challenge the teams ahead of us a bit more," Bates admitted. "We had a fantastic season, but I think that the athlete's mind is you believe that you can do more — that you can check every box and meet every goal and have that perfect performance.
 
"The good news is that I think that we still have a lot more that we want to accomplish. There isn't this sense that we need to — we've already accomplished a lot, but there is a fire for us to do even more."