Veteran U.S. Team Earns Silver and Lifelong Memories in the Team Event

They've traveled the world together, eaten together and sometimes roomed together. They've shared coaches, choreographers and ice time. They've cheered for each other from the stands and offered congratulations or a sympathetic ear.
 
But rarely do the figure skaters of Team USA actually compete as a team.
 
While there is World Team Trophy, ice dancer and three-time Olympian Madison Chock explains that the team event at the Olympic Winter Games is the coveted event they all look forward to.
 
"Well, it's the Olympics!" Chock said. "The Olympics are awesome."
 
Her partner and four-time Olympian Evan Bates added, "The World Team Trophy is usually held in April and it's after everyone's finished their individual events and it's really fun and people dress up and …"
 
"It's a wild time," interjected Chock.
 
"Yeah, it's a wild time," said Bates. "When you take part in the team event at the Olympics, I think you realize there's a little more gravity to the moment and Olympic medals are at stake, not just for yourself, but for your whole team."
 
Chock and Bates were the co-captains for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
 
"The support goes a lot deeper in the Olympics," Chock said. "Through the team, we're really rooted and grounded in each other's energy and supporting each other, so it's a very special moment to be part of."
 
In Beijing, Team USA captured silver, its highest finish since earning two straight bronze medals in 2018 and the debut 2014 event.
 
The medal ceremony was delayed and the athletes had to leave Beijing without receiving their hardware. That's because Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva, who was part of the winning team, has a pending doping case. The results are provisional until the case is resolved.
 
Team USA would be upgraded to gold if the ROC team is disqualified. But no matter what happens, the International Olympic Committee has promised a "dignified" medal ceremony.
 
"We're really looking forward to sharing that moment with our team," Chock said. "It's a very special team and we've bonded so much over the years, and especially over the team event, so it'll be really nice to share that medal moment with them."
 
As the results stand now, the Russian Olympic Committee placed first with 74 points, followed by Team USA with 65 and Japan with 63. 
 
Nathan Chen (short program) and Vincent Zhou (free skate) represented Team USA in the men's discipline, Karen Chen competed in the women's, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier were in the pairs and the ice dancers were Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (rhythm dance) and Chock and Bates (free dance).
 
"It's an honor, honestly," said Donohue. "There's very few opportunities for any ice skaters to be a part of a team. We don't have the rest of our hockey team or our sled (hockey) team. This is a really unique opportunity to compete not only for yourselves and for the medal you want to earn, but also truly as a unit representing your country though your sport and hard work and dedication."
 
Even the skaters who were not part of the team event took a turn in the team box, which was just off the ice at the opposite side of the kiss and cry. Jason Brown decorated the box, while Mariah Bell, Alysa Liu, Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, and Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker shouted encouragement or held up "Go Team USA" signs.
 
"Jason's always got the team spirit," said Knierim. "The teammates that didn't participate in the event, they definitely went out of their way to show their love and support in the team box and in the village. So we're just very fortunate to be part of Team USA."
 
The rules of the event — which stretches over three days — allow substitutions in only two disciplines. 
 
Karen, Zhou, Hubbell and Donohue and Chock and Bates did not get the chance to compete in the team event in 2018, so they jumped at the opportunity four years later. 
 
"We've been lucky enough to sit in the box at every one of the (team) events," said Bates, the first four-time figure skating Olympian for Team USA. "This year, knowing we would get the chance to participate was a big deal to us. We put a lot of emphasis on this event."
 
Nathan was first out of the gate in the men's short program with a personal best. He made up for the mistake-filled short programs in 2018 while also contributing the maximum 10 points to the team effort.
 
Chen said he enjoyed "being around all of my friends. The people that I'm with, the majority of the team, they're all my closest friends, so it's really great to be able to have people that you love at such an amazing event, and memories and stuff that you can share."
 
Hubbell and Donohue were up next.

"Nathan certainly set the bar high," said Hubbell. "We arrived right after his performance and walking into the room wearing your USA gear everybody turns their head, like, 'He just laid it down.' It's inspiring, but honestly everybody on the team is somebody that's more than worthy of being part of this event."
 
Hubbell and Donohue also scored a personal best in the rhythm dance for another 10 points.
 
Knierim, who won a bronze in 2018 with her husband Chris Knierim as her partner, and Frazier, were third in the pairs for eight points, giving Team USA a first-day lead.
 
"It's just an honor to be working and fighting with our team," said Frazier, who was the only first-time Olympian among the U.S. competitors. "I've looked up to all those guys for years. So seeing everyone compete and contribute a portion to an overall end goal for a result — and to get a medal out of it —  it's an honor of a lifetime for me personally and I had the absolute time of my life doing it."
 
Frazier and Knierim train with Nathan daily, but this is their first time sharing the Olympic stage with him.
 
"There's no question he's one of the greatest of all time and it's very inspiring, but we all have to do our part, knowing Nathan's there, doing his part," Frazier said.
 
"The great thing about our team is nobody acts superior or stands at a higher level," Knierim added. "We have two phenomenal dance teams that were very high in the ranks as well and each individual on this team treats everybody with the same respect. We treat each other as equals.
 
"A lot of people may be, 'Oh well, they have Nathan, so they've got to live up to it,' but he doesn't treat us any differently and we don't look at him any differently. We just think that he's really good."
 
On the second day, Karen competed in the women's short, placing fifth, while Zhou was third in the men's free skate. 
 
"I'm proud of the fight that I had in my performance," Karen said. "I'm not going to lie, I definitely felt some pressure. At the end of the day, it's all coming from myself. I want to skate well for myself, for my team, for my coach, for my family, for all those people."
 
She said she had watched the others compete two days earlier. "I was so happy to see them all get off the ice with a huge smile on their face because they skated so well."
 
Zhou said he was happy to be part of the event with his "amazing team." 
 
"I think this was a good way to get into my knees a little before the individual event," he added.
 
Unfortunately, bad luck overtook Zhou. He tested positive for COVID-19 and had to go to an isolation hotel. He missed the men's singles event but was invited to skate in the gala on the closing day.
 
On the final day of the team event, Chock and Bates scored a personal best in the free dance for another 10 points. 
 
"It just feels great to contribute in a meaningful way," Bates said.
 
Karen placed fourth in the free skate and Knierim and Frazier were fifth.
 
Unfortunately, Zhou could not join his teammates for the flower ceremony in Capital Indoor Stadium.
 
"He's an equal part of that team," said Frazier. "Not having the whole team out there, you're missing a part of that team and it hurts."
 
The team made a video for Zhou while they were still on the ice.
 
"We just wished him well and told him that it wasn't the same without him and we know that meant a lot to him," Knierim said.
 
Eventually Zhou was able to rejoin his team to take photos and celebrate their silver medal.
 
"I'm super proud of Team USA and the rest of my teammates," he said. "I think everyone was incredible."