Evan Bates' Parents: All About the Olympic Figure Skater's Dad Eric and Mom Nancy

Ahead of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Evan Bates' dad said he feels "excitement, anticipation and anxiety" for the figure skater

NEED TO KNOW

• Evan Bates was born in Michigan to parents Eric and Nancy Bates
• The cardiologist and the artist are also parents to daughter Alexis and son Andrew
• Ahead of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Eric said he “could not be prouder” of Evan and his skating partner, wife Madison Chock

Evan Bates has two proud parents cheering him on in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The Olympic figure skater — who partners with his wife, Madison Chock — was born to parents Eric and Nancy Bates in Ann Arbor, Mich. As Evan has grown in the figure skating world, his parents have continued to support him on and off the ice.

Ahead of the Winter Games, Eric told the University of Michigan that the next two weeks would be marked by "peak excitement, anticipation and anxiety for the parents who have been on this 25-year journey with them."

"Evan and Madi are making history in these games, a testament to sustained excellence as elite athletes. I could not be prouder and am excited to be there supporting them," he continued.

Here's everything to know about Evan Bates' parents, Eric and Nancy.

They welcomed him in Michigan

Eric and Nancy welcomed Evan in Ann Arbor on Feb. 23, 1989, per NBC.

The figure skater stayed local for college, going on to receive his bachelor's degree in organizational studies from the University of Michigan in 2013, per the U.S. Figure Skating roster. He is the 52nd member of his family to graduate from the university.

Eric is a cardiologist and Nancy is an artist and real estate developer

Eric is an interventional cardiologist at the University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center, while Nancy is a visual artist and real estate developer, as they shared on the Conversations with Sports Fans podcast in February 2026.

Per the University of Michigan Health Frankel CVC official X account, Eric has worked there for 50 years and has "treated thousands of patients, trained more than 250 cardiologists and been cited in over 60,000 medical research papers."

The account also notes that he is a professor of internal medicine at the school.

They have two other children

In addition to being parents to Evan, Eric and Nancy have two other children and two granddaughters, as they told All About Ann Arbor in February 2018. Evan is the youngest of his two siblings.

She told the outlet that Alexis, who is four years older than Evan, was a competitive freestyle skater, which ultimately led Evan to become one, too. Meanwhile, Andrew played soccer, golf and baseball.

Nancy is close friends with Madison's mom, Barbara

While Evan and his wife Madison are a power duo on the ice, their moms have sparked a friendship of their own.

The pair spoke to NBC about their friendship in February 2026, sharing that they have been friends since before their children began skating together.

"I think if we were in high school together, we would have been friends," Nancy said, with Barbara agreeing. "I would have said, 'Hey, I got a boy,' … and you would have said, 'Hey, I got a girl!' "

Nancy and Barbara often watch Evan and Madison's routines together in the stands, which the figure skaters are grateful for.

In January 2026, Madison posted a video on Instagram that featured a compilation of clips of the pair's parents watching them on the ice, captioned, "We wouldn’t be here without them ♥️."

They get nervous watching their son on the ice

During their February 2026 appearance on the Conversations with Sports Fans podcast, Eric and Nancy opened up about life as the parents of an Olympic skater, sharing that the stakes are high every time they watch their son on the ice.

Nancy explained what it's like watching with Madison's mom, saying that Barbara is "always calm," whereas she'll sometimes take "a couple beta blockers, which takes the edge off."

Eric added, "The athletes are trained psychologically and emotionally and physically, and when they get out there, they click into competition mode, muscle memory, they get going, but the parents don't have that benefit."

He said that because the ice is "slippery," they spend "too much time nervous" that they often have to re-watch Evan's performances when they get home "to really appreciate it."

"The stress on the parents is underappreciated, I think," Eric added, explaining that "it grows" with each of his son's successes because "the expectations are higher."

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.

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