The husband-and-wife duo spoke with PEOPLE exclusively at the 2026 Figure Skating in Harlem Igniting Dreams Gala on May 18
Credit: Udo Salters Photography
NEED TO KNOW
- Madison Chock and Evan Bates are focusing on personal time after winning silver and gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- The couple plans to celebrate Bates’ parents’ 50th anniversary with a family trip to Mackinac Island in Michigan
- They are enjoying performing with Stars on Ice while looking forward to building a life beyond Olympic competition
Olympic ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates are opening up about life after the Olympics, and what’s next for them both on and off the ice.
The husband-and-wife duo spoke with PEOPLE exclusively at the 2026 Figure Skating in Harlem Igniting Dreams Gala on May 18, just a few months after taking home a silver medal in the ice dance competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The pair also helped Team USA secure gold in the team event, marking another major milestone in their decorated careers.
“It has been an absolute whirlwind. We have just been traveling with Stars on Ice doing shows all over the country,” Chock, 33, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “We started on the East Coast and now made our way out west, but we’re so happy we had a couple of days off and are able to come here and support Skating in Harlem.”
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While the pair are still spending plenty of time on the ice, they’re also looking forward to slowing down and enjoying more personal time together this summer.
As the couple’s wedding anniversary approaches in June, Bates, 37, says their focus this year will actually be on celebrating another major milestone within their family.
“It is coming up in June actually, but this year is my parents’ 50th [anniversary], so our plans are to celebrate them,” he says. “We’re going to go up to Mackinac Island, which is an island in Michigan. No motorized vehicles, just horse-drawn carriages and bikes. We’re going to go as a family and that will be our vacation this summer.”
Credit: Udo Salters Photography
Looking ahead, Chock says the pair are excited about building a life together outside of the intense demands of Olympic competition.
“We would love to travel some more, more for leisure less for competition and just look forward and start building a life together,” she says.
That mindset also extends to their future in skating.
“Definitely on the ice,” Bates says of where he sees them in the coming years. “We’re both having a blast on Stars on Ice doing 29 shows in the U.S. But I think also taking a break from the intensity of that Olympic pursuit for a moment and taking a breath and just enjoying the summer without any future plans set-in-stone, which is exciting, scary and all of the above.”
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As for their favorite memory from the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Chock says their work on the ice stands out most.
“Definitely the performances were a huge highlight for us,” she says. “Just being able to deliver what we worked so hard to accomplish and being able to accomplish those goals on Olympic ice was a dream come true.”
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