WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

01/30 12:01 CST Netflix films Chock and Bates for a docuseries as US skaters prepare for Milan Cortina Olympics Netflix films Chock and Bates for a docuseries as US skaters prepare for Milan Cortina Olympics By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer The one thing that American figure skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates insisted upon when they were approached about a behind-the-scenes documentary from Netflix chronicling their road to the Milan Cortina Olympics was authenticity. The three-time and reigning ice dance world champions were not about fabricating drama. They refused to be actors in some theatrical production. Chock and Bates would participate only if the cameras gave the world an unvarnished glimpse into their world. "We wanted to be true to us," Bates explained to The Associated Press, "and our relationship, and tell our story." Good thing there is plenty of drama already built into the high-stakes, high-pressure world of competitive figure skating. Chock and Bates, the favorites to win gold when the Winter Games begin next week, are among three ice dance teams that Netflix followed over the past year to create " Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing, " which premiers Sunday on the streaming platform. Their biggest rivals for the podium in Milan are the other two teams in the three-part series. One is Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, the five-time and reigning Canadian champions, who finished second to Chock and Bates at the world championships last year. The other is the new team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron --- he won gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics for France with his former partner, Gabriella Papadakis. The team behind "Glitter and Gold" includes director Katie Walsh and showrunner Giselle Parets, who were behind the award-winning documentary "Simone Biles Rising," which followed the U.S. gymnast in her preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "They came to our apartment. They followed us to various competitions throughout the year. We felt a really good connection with the producer and the film crew," Bates said, "and we got really comfortable with them. "I think that's an important facet of this, putting your trust in someone who is going to tell your story in an authentic way, and not manufacture anything. We wanted to be true to ourselves and our relationship and tell our story." Chock and Bates have quite a story to tell. They've been partners since 2011, after Bates had been to his first Olympics with former teammate Emily Samuelson, and have won basically everything in the sport besides individual gold at the Winter Games. After finishing fourth in Beijing, they have claimed the past three world titles, run their streak of U.S. titles to a record seven, and have dominated the Grand Prix circuit. They do have an Olympic gold medal, albeit from the team event with the rest of the American squad in Beijing. Anything less than ice dance gold in Milan would be a disappointment. "I think we've changed so much as people over the years that our experience will undoubtedly be different this time," said Chock, who married Bates in June 2024. "Just what we've learned, how we'll handle ourselves under pressure, how we'll enjoy the moment --- there's a lot to look forward to but a lot of experience to guide us as well." Gilles and Poirier have been nipping at the heels of Chock and Bates for years, and the Canadians have proven they can beat them on their best day. But the wildcard is Beaudry and Cizeron, who only paired up together last March. Beaudry finished ninth for Canada at the Beijing Games with her former partner, Nikolaj Sorensen. But when he was banned by Skate Canada for a minimum of six years for "sexual maltreatment" --- a punishment later overturned on jurisdictional grounds --- she went in search of a new partner. Cizeron wound up being available after Papadakis had stepped away from competition. Together, Beaudry and Cizeron swept their two Grand Prix events, won the European championships and finished second to Chock and Bates at the Grand Prix Final; Gilles and Poirier were fourth there behind the British team of Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson. Cizeron then added another layer of drama to the Olympic ice dance competition when he recently accused Papadakis of spreading lies about him in her new book, "So as Not to Disappear." In it, Cizeron's ex-teammate accused him of being a "controlling" and "demanding" partner, and expressed a feeling of "being under his grip" over their years together. So much for needing to manufacture drama for "Glitter and Gold: Ice Dancing." "We had a really good experience," Bates said of the documentary. "It was something at first it was hard to believe it was happening, and it was going to be on such a big platform like Netflix. But I think the opportunity is just unbelievable, not just for the sport but to document this time in our lives, our last competitive year most likely, and to have them behind the scenes." ___ AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics