Latest news with #Chock
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Who is the 'Golden Bachelor' Season 2 leading man?
Who is the 'Golden Bachelor' Season 2 leading man? Show Caption Hide Caption Watch: Chock can't remember 'Golden Bachelorette' Joan's middle name "Golden Bachelorette" Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple explain to USA TODAY's Bryan Alexander why they aren't rushing to wed after the final rose. "Golden Bachelor" is back for a second season. And no, its star is not "Golden Bachelorette" favorites Mark Anderson or Charles Ling. The lead will be a new face for many Bachelor Nation members, though he may be more familiar to NFL fans. Mel Owens will be your next Midwestern leading man. ABC announced the news at an April 22 event in Los Angeles celebrating Disney's slate of reality TV programs. The former Los Angeles Rams linebacker-turned-lawyer, 66, was once married and shares two sons with his first wife. He's also a partner at an Orange County, California, law firm specializing in sports injuries and workers' compensation. "After several years as a devoted dad, Owens is ready to rediscover a love rooted in the simple joys of companionship – sharing life's everyday moments, making plans for the future, and growing stronger together as a couple," ABC's press release says. "As the Golden Bachelor, he's eager to meet someone who shares this vision and finally find that perfect teammate he's been waiting for in his golden years." When will 'Golden Bachelor' Season 2 come out? A premiere date for "Golden Bachelor" Season 2 will be "announced at a later date," ABC says. What happened on Season 1 of 'The Golden Bachelor?' Fellow Midwesterner Gerry Turner was the franchise's inaugural "Golden Bachelor." In his September 2023 season premiere, the (at the time) 72-year-old widower welcomed 22 women, whose ages ranged from 60 to 75, to the "Bachelor" mansion. He ultimately chose to wed Theresa Nist over Leslie Fhima, who will get another chance at reality TV love during a revamped "Bachelor in Paradise" this summer, with the two opting for a grand wedding ceremony that aired on ABC at the beginning of 2024. However, their love did not last long after the lavish event, with the two announcing their upcoming divorce in April 2024. The legal disentanglement was finalized in June and cited "certain irreconcilable differences" between Turner and Nist. Then in December, Turner announced he was diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a bone marrow cancer.
The Independent
30-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
The US dominated figure skating's world championships. It may face the Russians at the Olympics
It's hard to imagine a better world championships for the American figure skating team, which captured gold in three of the four disciplines over the weekend for the first time in its history, and will take all of that momentum into an Olympic year. But there is an old rival potentially returning to the mix that wasn't at worlds: the Russians. The country that has dominated Olympic figure skating over the past three-plus decades has been banned from competing in any international events since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Its best skaters have been forced to defect to other countries or, for those unwilling to do so, compete in a series of domestic events far outside of the global spotlight. But late last year, the International Skating Union announced that it had developed a strict procedure whereby a small number of Russian athletes could qualify for the Milano-Cortina Games in February. The plan created at the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee involves Russia nominating a single athlete or pair in each of the disciplines to compete in a qualifying event in Beijing later this year, provided they go through a rigorous background check. The athletes would compete as neutral athletes, much like a small number did at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and only if they have no ties to the Russian or Belarusian military and have not publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine. 'The ISU has maintained its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine,' the organization said in a statement. The plan was greeted by athletes at the world championships this week with a mixture of confusion and disappointment, support and rejection. But most athletes that discussed the situation with The Associated Press said they simply didn't care. They have competed against Russians in every other Olympics. They would be fine with doing it again. 'It's something we've grown accustomed to being in my four Olympics, and hopefully heading to a fifth,' said Evan Bates, who along with his partner, Madison Chock, won their third consecutive ice dance championship on Saturday night. The last couple to accomplish that feat? Russians Oksana Grischuk and Evgeni Platov, who won four in a row from 1994-97. 'It's something completely out of our control. We can never control who is going to be let in, and what the political ramifications are,' Bates continued. 'It's outside our control, and the more we focus on it, it distracts from where our focus needs to be.' This isn't the first time that Chock and Bates have been through some uncertainty when it comes to the Russian team. They were part of the American squad that initially earned a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Games. But when Russian star Kamila Valieva was disqualified for a doping violation after a protracted investigation, the U.S. was elevated to gold, and Chock and Bates finally received their medals alongside their teammates at the Paris Games last summer. Along with its gold medal Saturday night, the U.S. also stood atop the worlds podium with Alysa Liu, who broke a nearly two-decade drought for American women, and in the men's competition with Ilia Malinin, who won a second straight title by more than 30 points to stamp himself as the overwhelming favorite for the Winter Games. Asked whether she thought the Russians should be at worlds, Liu replied simply: 'I don't know. Do you?' It's difficult to predict which Russians will attempt to qualify for Milano-Cortina — the ISU received a list of candidates to vet by its Feb. 28 deadline — but whoever clears the threshold likely will contend in two events in particular: women and pairs. Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova gave Russia gold and silver for the second consecutive Winter Games in Beijing, and a Russian has stood atop the podium in the women's event for the past three Olympics. And in pairs, Russians have taken gold in five of the past eight Olympics, and its skaters took silver and bronze at the Beijing Games. The U.S. has not had a women's Olympic champion since Sarah Hughes in 2002. It has never won in pairs. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia would try to ensure the participation of its athletes at the Winter Games, according to Russian news agency Tass. The statement came before the election of Kirsty Coventry as the new IOC president, and with her arrival came new hope for Russia that it could be allowed back into the Olympics. Already, it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to make inroads, offering the former swimmer his 'sincere congratulations' on her win. Putin said in a statement issued by the Kremlin, 'The results of the vote convincingly attest to your high authority in the sporting world and the recognition of your outstanding personal achievements.' 'We will defend the interests of our athletes and our Olympic team,' said Peskov, when asked recently about Russia's potential involvement in the Milano-Cortina Games. 'Settling this issue will require additional time and effort.' That time and effort is for others to expend, though. For skaters, the focus is on preparing themselves for an Olympic year. 'Our Olympic experiences, there's been Russians at every Olympics so far, and looking to the next, should they be there, that will make the Olympic Games feel like there's no caveat,' Bates said. 'And if we can execute our plan and fulfill the goals we set for ourselves and stand atop the podium, we won't worry about the rest of the field. We'll just focus on the skating and the training and the preparation and enjoying what could be our last Olympic experience.' ___
Associated Press
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
The US dominated figure skating's world championships. It may face the Russians at the Olympics
BOSTON (AP) — It's hard to imagine a better world championships for the American figure skating team, which captured gold in three of the four disciplines over the weekend for the first time in its history, and will take all of that momentum into an Olympic year. But there is an old rival potentially returning to the mix that wasn't at worlds: the Russians. The country that has dominated Olympic figure skating over the past three-plus decades has been banned from competing in any international events since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Its best skaters have been forced to defect to other countries or, for those unwilling to do so, compete in a series of domestic events far outside of the global spotlight. But late last year, the International Skating Union announced that it had developed a strict procedure whereby a small number of Russian athletes could qualify for the Milano-Cortina Games in February. The plan created at the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee involves Russia nominating a single athlete or pair in each of the disciplines to compete in a qualifying event in Beijing later this year, provided they go through a rigorous background check. The athletes would compete as neutral athletes, much like a small number did at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and only if they have no ties to the Russian or Belarusian military and have not publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine. 'The ISU has maintained its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine,' the organization said in a statement. The plan was greeted by athletes at the world championships this week with a mixture of confusion and disappointment, support and rejection. But most athletes that discussed the situation with The Associated Press said they simply didn't care. They have competed against Russians in every other Olympics. They would be fine with doing it again. 'It's something we've grown accustomed to being in my four Olympics, and hopefully heading to a fifth,' said Evan Bates, who along with his partner, Madison Chock, won their third consecutive ice dance championship on Saturday night. The last couple to accomplish that feat? Russians Oksana Grischuk and Evgeni Platov, who won four in a row from 1994-97. 'It's something completely out of our control. We can never control who is going to be let in, and what the political ramifications are,' Bates continued. 'It's outside our control, and the more we focus on it, it distracts from where our focus needs to be.' This isn't the first time that Chock and Bates have been through some uncertainty when it comes to the Russian team. They were part of the American squad that initially earned a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Games. But when Russian star Kamila Valieva was disqualified for a doping violation after a protracted investigation, the U.S. was elevated to gold, and Chock and Bates finally received their medals alongside their teammates at the Paris Games last summer. Along with its gold medal Saturday night, the U.S. also stood atop the worlds podium with Alysa Liu, who broke a nearly two-decade drought for American women, and in the men's competition with Ilia Malinin, who won a second straight title by more than 30 points to stamp himself as the overwhelming favorite for the Winter Games. Asked whether she thought the Russians should be at worlds, Liu replied simply: 'I don't know. Do you?' It's difficult to predict which Russians will attempt to qualify for Milano-Cortina — the ISU received a list of candidates to vet by its Feb. 28 deadline — but whoever clears the threshold likely will contend in two events in particular: women and pairs. Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova gave Russia gold and silver for the second consecutive Winter Games in Beijing, and a Russian has stood atop the podium in the women's event for the past three Olympics. And in pairs, Russians have taken gold in five of the past eight Olympics, and its skaters took silver and bronze at the Beijing Games. The U.S. has not had a women's Olympic champion since Sarah Hughes in 2002. It has never won in pairs. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia would try to ensure the participation of its athletes at the Winter Games, according to Russian news agency Tass. The statement came before the election of Kirsty Coventry as the new IOC president, and with her arrival came new hope for Russia that it could be allowed back into the Olympics. Already, it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to make inroads, offering the former swimmer his 'sincere congratulations' on her win. Putin said in a statement issued by the Kremlin, 'The results of the vote convincingly attest to your high authority in the sporting world and the recognition of your outstanding personal achievements.' 'We will defend the interests of our athletes and our Olympic team,' said Peskov, when asked recently about Russia's potential involvement in the Milano-Cortina Games. 'Settling this issue will require additional time and effort.' That time and effort is for others to expend, though. For skaters, the focus is on preparing themselves for an Olympic year. 'Our Olympic experiences, there's been Russians at every Olympics so far, and looking to the next, should they be there, that will make the Olympic Games feel like there's no caveat,' Bates said. 'And if we can execute our plan and fulfill the goals we set for ourselves and stand atop the podium, we won't worry about the rest of the field. We'll just focus on the skating and the training and the preparation and enjoying what could be our last Olympic experience.'
New York Times
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Madison Chock and Evan Bates, U.S. ice dance stars, win third straight world title
BOSTON — For a duo that's done just about it all, this was one of the highs. On Saturday at TD Garden, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the venerable American ice dancers, captured their third consecutive world championship gold medal. After comfortably winning the rhythm dance portion, Chock and Bates delivered a clutch free dance with their trademark refinement and energy. Their score of 131.88 comfortably delivered the gold with a total score of 222.06, confirming their elite status in the sport. Advertisement Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier won silver with a score of 216.54. Great Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson took bronze with a 207.11. The figure skating couple of Chock and Bates is an American institution. They are the first to win three consecutive world championship ice dancing golds since Russians Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov won four straight between 1994 and 1997. The only other American pair to win at worlds was Meryl Davis and Charlie White in 2011 and 2013. They also won silver in 2010 and 2012. This is the sixth world championship medal for Chock, 32, and Bates, 36. With their first coming in 2015, a silver, they now have a decade between podium appearances at worlds. They also won bronze in 2016 and 2022. The only accolade missing from their resume is an ice dance medal at the Winter Olympics. The six-time U.S. national champions and three-time Olympians have a gold from the team event in 2022. But the quality they've accrued seems to warrant a new pinnacle. It sure feels like it's their time. Saturday, they didn't rise to the occasion as much as they descended to it. After a breathtaking performance from Fear and Gibson, followed by an even more ambitious showing from Gilles and Paul Poirier, there was no questioning whether Chock and Bates could top it. Their best is more than enough. The question is whether they had it with them on this day. Their ode to swing dancing launched with a subtle sultry to Miles Davis' trumpet in ''Round Midnight' from 1957 and escalated in sophistication, culminating on Frizzo's 2014 jam'Take Five.' The chemistry of Chock and Bates shined in their seamless transitions, in the effortlessness of their complicated lifts, in how the pressure never seemed to faze them. Nearing their 14th anniversary as an official duo, and third as a married couple, their trust is tangible in what they dare and their expertise in each other evident in how well they execute. Advertisement When they were done, their absence of doubt was transferred to the packed house. Chock and Bates feel inevitable right now. Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko posted a season-best score of 123.37 in Saturday's free dance, putting them into the lead entering the final group of five pairs. They finished fifth with a total score of 204.88. (Photo of Evan Bates and Madison Chock celebrating after Saturday's routine: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
Reuters
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Figure Skating-Americans Chock and Bates skate to third straight ice dance title
BOSTON, March 29 (Reuters) - Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates danced to gold at the World Figure Skating Championships on Saturday to become the first team in 28 years to capture three consecutive world ice dance titles. Leading by almost four points after their electrifying rhythm dance on Friday -- vast by ice dance standards -- Chock and Bates were almost perfect to score 131.88 points for their sophisticated free dance program to jazz classic "Take Five," for a total of 222.06. Their final spin in which Chock balanced on Bates' outstretched foot had fans at TD Garden leaping to their feet seconds before the program ended. Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier won silver for the second consecutive season, scoring 130.10 for their elegant skate to the Annie Lennox cover of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" for a total 216.54. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson scored 207.11 for bronze to become the first British world ice dance medallists since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean capped a string of four straight victories in 1984. Chock and Bates, six-times U.S. champions and married couple, are the first team to win three world titles in a row since Russians Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov claimed four straight between 1994 and 1997. The victory sets the Americans up as favourites for next year's Milano-Cortina Olympics, where they will be aiming for their first Games ice dance medal. They were part of the U.S. squad that captured gold in the team event at the 2022 Beijing Games.
