Printer Friendly Version - Donohue Helps Team USA Win Silver at Olympics

Madison’s Zachary Donohue and Madison Hubbell finished first in the rhythm dance to help Team USA win the silver medal in the figure skating team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Madison native Zachary Donohue helped Team USA win the silver medal in the figure skating team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China last week. Donohue and partner Madison Hubbell took first place in the ice dance rhythm dance segment of the competition on Feb. 4, helping the United States earn its all-time best finish in team figure skating with the silver medal.

Donohue and Hubbell recorded a personal- best score of 86.56 to finish first in the rhythm dance at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing. The tandem placed ahead of the other nine duos who participated in that segment of the event, including the team of reigning World champions Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), who finished in second place with an 85.05.

Donohue and Hubbell, who skated to a medley of Janet Jackson songs, scored 10 points for Team USA with their victory in the rhythm dance. The ROC won the gold medal with a team score of 74 points; the U.S. took the silver with 65 points; and Japan won the bronze with 63 points in the team figure skating event, which was introduced at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Team USA had won the bronze medal in the event in both 2014 and 2018.

In addition to Donohue and Hubbell, the other athletes who competed for the US in team figure skating were Nathan Chen, the pairing of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, Karen Chen, Vincent Zhou, and the duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

Donohue, 31, has been teaming up with Hubbell, a Michigan native, since 2011. Four years ago, Donohue and Hubbell finished in fourth place for the figure skating ice dance competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics, coming up 4.90 points shy of winning the bronze.

Donohue and Hubbell will be competing in the ice dance event at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The event takes place from Saturday, Feb. 12 to Monday, Feb. 14.

Donohue and Hubbell have medaled three times at the World Figure Skating Championships and won the gold at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Prior to the 2021-’22 figure skating season, Donohue and Hubbell announced that it would be their final one.