Madison Chock and Evan Bates both remember the moment everything changed. The Team USA ice dancers - widely regarded as the best duo in the world and the favorites to win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy - were originally paired together in 2011. Over time, however, their professional partnership blossomed into something more. "There's definitely a moment that I recall," Bates, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly alongside Chock, 33, via their partnership with Nulo. "We skated together for five years and it was just a friendship, but the friendship was good.