At the 2018 Olympics, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue were in third place after the rhythm dance. But in the free skate, Donohue put his hand to the ice during a twizzle maneuver, when the partners perform turns in sync as they move across the ice, during the closing moments of their routine. Technically, that counted as a fall and resulted in a one-point deduction. The couple slipped to fourth place, missing the medal podium, while the bronze went to their countrymen, Maia and Alex Shibutani, who are brother and sister.
The finish was devastating. But, after crying for two days, Hubbell said, she recovered and realized that she and Donohue had challenged for a medal and were among the best in the world. A month later, they won a silver medal at the 2018 world championships and have since collected two additional world medals and two United States titles.
Hubbell and Donohue are in third place again after the Olympic rhythm dance, ahead of teammates Madison Chock and Evan Bates. One of the American teams is expected to win the bronze, giving American ice dancers a medal at five consecutive Olympics. Meryl Davis and Charlie White won gold in 2014.
Ice dancing has helped sustain the international prominence of American skating as the standing of women singles skaters and pairs has ebbed.
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