Hubbell and Donohue Prepared to Climb the Mountain Again at U.S. Championships

When Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue head to Las Vegas for the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships, they're facing a brand new challenge.
 
For the first time, the two-time U.S. ice dancing champions are looking to reclaim the title.
 
Having won two consecutive U.S. titles in 2018-19, Hubbell and Donohue slipped to second place in 2020 behind Madison Chock and Evan Bates, with whom they share coaches and ice on a daily basis in Montreal.
 
"I throw a shoulder once in a while," Donohue said. "I can throw my weight around. Throw an elbow up, hope for the nose break."
 
Unable to keep a straight face, he laughs.
 
"We've known Madi and Evan for so many years," Hubbell said. "An old photo of Evan and I popped up from like 2006. Quite the kids we were. I think that with them, we've always had just more of a fun, goofy energy. Those two together as a couple, they're just constant laughter, and very sweet. If you try and trash talk with Madi, she'd be like, 'What are you talking about?'"
 
Even as they're cheering on their biggest on-ice rivals, Hubbell and Donohue are, as always, laser focused on the task at hand.
 
The 2019-20 season was a bit of a struggle for them, as they finished lower than first place at a Grand Prix event for the first time in two years and were likewise knocked off the top of the U.S. podium. They won bronze at both the ISU Grand Prix Final and the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships before the cancelation of the World Championships in March.
 
As limited as the 2020-21 season has been, it's seen Hubbell and Donohue regain the form they've come to be known for. They won the International Selection Pool (ISP) Points Challenge, a virtually-held competition hosted by U.S. Figure Skating, and then went on to win their third consecutive Skate America® gold medal in October.
 
"We really took control of our training and our preparation, so it was nice to kind of be able to bring that understanding and control to the season," Donohue said. "With how things were kind of up in the air until the last minute, especially taking that into consideration, I think we're really happy with the level of performance we were able to put out there."
 
Unlike many skaters, who decided to stick with last season's programs when the option was presented to them, Hubbell and Donohue debuted two new programs this season. At 2020 Guaranteed Rate Skate America -- held in Las Vegas at The Orleans Arena, which is also hosting the U.S. Championships -- their rhythm dance to a Burlesque medley scored 85.30 points.
 
Their free dance, famously choreographed by two-time Olympic ice dance champion Scott Moir, scored 126.09 points.
 
"We're really happy that we kind of were able to enjoy the process of skating it, even though it was the first time and there were nerves and you're really focused," Hubbell said. "But it is a really kind of uplifting piece of music that, even in the very intense, emotional parts of the program, the rhythm of the music just keeps your body moving."
 
Moir spent a week with the pair in Montreal following Skate America®, where they spent some time fine-tuning the details and intricacies of the program. But even in it's earliest iteration, Hubbell and Donohue were pleased with how everything went.
 
"I would say that we just kind of went with the flow, and tried to just do what we enjoy about skating with these two programs," Hubbell said. "And it definitely pays off. It doesn't feel like we have to work too hard at creating the feeling when we go and perform. So it was really nice to kind of test that out in front of an audience, and in front of the judges, and get that kind of personal feedback of, 'Yeah, we were right, this is the right vehicle for us.' It was difficult, even with the extended offseason, to change both programs, because we were so much up in the air. But we're really happy that we did, and we have something fresh to work on."
 
That "audience," however, was the sea of cardboard cutouts and piped-in crowd noise becoming ubiquitous in the age of the pandemic.
 
While Hubbell and Donohue were able to focus on each other and skate normally during their performances, there were some jarring differences.
 
At Skate America®, when their free dance score was read and it was announced that they'd won, they were met with… crickets.
 
Despite the lack of crowd reaction and being confined to their hotel rooms in the bubble -- "I think I counted every single mark on the wall and ceilings," Donohue joked -- they found the competition environment to be somewhat normal.
 
They'll be back in the same environment at the U.S. Championships, with the rhythm dance held on Jan. 15 and the free dance on Jan. 16.
 
"We have that experience, seeing how well the event happened, and how everyone was able to stay healthy," Hubbell said. "I think that's a big asset, that security that we feel now going into nationals, where we kind of already know how it's going to work."
 
They may not yet know what it's like to be U.S. champions trying to win their title back, but regardless of the situation -- and with crowd noise or not -- Hubbell and Donohue are prepared to leave it all out on the ice.
 
"I think it's an easier position to be in than defending your title, honestly," Donohue said. "It's always easier to chase than it is to defend. At the same time, our goal is always to be the best we can be, so we're going to try to be the absolute best we can be. Whether that's a national title, a world title, an Olympic title, we're going to put the same drive and focus into it. I don't think it changes anything for us."

Fans can follow Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue next week on the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships Virtual Fan Experience. The site provides quick access to everything fans need to know about #ToyotaUSChamps21, including TV and streaming schedules, feature stories, Fantasy Skating presented by Xfinity, HomeLight Home Ice Bingo and more!