MILAN (NEXSTAR) - U.S. ice dancer Evan Bates has been selected as a flagbearer for Team USA in the closing ceremonies of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. The announcement follows a silver medal win for Bates and his partner, Madison Chock, in the ice dancing competition. Bates and Chock secured the silver medal with a season-best score of 224.39 points. They finished behind French skaters Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who won gold with 225.82 points despite several mistakes during their performance. The American pair were also part of the gold medal-winning American squad in the team competition. Bates described the news of his selection as a humbling moment that he had not previously imagined. "Honestly, I was so honored," Bates said regarding the selection. "It's been something that I couldn't even dreamt of." Bates, who is a veteran of the U.S. Olympic team, reflected on his career and the significance of the moment in Milan. He noted that the opportunity to represent his country in this capacity ranks among his highest achievements. "We've been really fortunate to have so many great moments, especially here in Milan," Bates said. "This one is just the best way to cap it off and I'm so honored to carry the flag on behalf of all of Team USA and everybody at home who's been supporting us." Bates credited his partner, Chock, for sharing the news of his selection with him. He described the experience as emotional and highlighted the support from his teammates during the announcement. "Maddie (Chock) was the one who actually broke the news to me," Bates said. "So seeing the emotion on her face and having the whole team there to support was amazing." Bates will serve as flag bearer alongside U.S. hockey player Hilary Knight, who on Thursday scored a key goal to secure the gold medal. The two athletes have a long history together on the international stage, having competed in five Olympic Games together. "Knight is such a legend in her sport," Bates said. "To see them cap it off with the gold medal last night was incredible, and I'm so honored to be marching next to her." Despite the silver medal finish, Bates expressed pride in the routines he and Chock performed during the competition. He characterized the performances as the result of long-term dedication to the sport. "I think, more than anything, it was the performances that we delivered," Bates said. "That was the culmination of decades of work and preparation and planning." All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published