Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue are an ice dance team representing the United States in international competition. They train in Montréal, Canada under coaches Romain Hagenauer, Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Pascal Denis.
"My goodness, I just think so highly of this team. You know what, I find them riveting. I can't take my eyes off them, and I love the electricity in the audience when they skate."
Tracy Wilson, NBC Sports
The spark. Madi and Zach teamed up in the spring of 2011 after their previous partnerships ended. In their first day of tryouts at the Detroit Skating Club, their coaches at the time noticed an instant compatibility between the two on multiple levels. Technically, both had achieved success with previous partners at both the junior and senior levels in the U.S. and internationally, and already demonstrated deep edges, nice knee bends, and huge speed. Physically, as tall skaters, they carried an imposing presence on the ice together, and were capable of skating large patterns. And, most of all, interpersonally, there was a smoldering chemistry between the two.
Immediate results. These qualities were evident to judges at their first competition, the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany, which they won. They drew lots of attention with an uptempo Latin short dance and a sizzling free dance set to Joe Cocker's "I Put a Spell on You." They carried this momentum through to the 2012 Prudential U.S. National Championships, where they won the bronze medal and qualified for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in their first year together.
Their first four years. In the following years, Madi and Zach developed a reputation for being physically powerful, technically skilled, and, above all, emotionally connected skaters - with each other, and with the audience. Judges, spectators, and commentators alike noted their early achievements as well as their vast potential. In the 2013-2014 season, despite suffering from immense pain due to a torn labrum, Madi, along with Zach, came just two points shy of qualifying for the 2014 U.S. Olympic team, after which they rallied to win the 2014 ISU Four Continents championship. Madi then underwent surgery for her hip injury in March 2014. Despite a lack of training time due to Madi's ongoing recovery and physical therapy, Madi and Zach continued to improve as a team and competed throughout the 2014-2015 season.
A big move. In April 2015, Madi and Zach announced their move to Montréal, Canada to train with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Hagenauer, and Pascal Denis. They remain deeply grateful to previous coaches Pasquale Camerlengo and Anjelika Krylova for their tremendous time, investment, and support in them as a team.
Vaulting up the ranks. Since moving to Montréal, Madi and Zach have humbly and actively incorporated expert feedback in improving all aspects of their skating. Their hard work has paid off not only in an infinite improvement in their skating skills, but also in the form of a steady improvement in their competition results, culminating in their first U.S. national championship and first world medal in 2018. As of February 2022, they are three-time U.S. national champions, three-time world medalists, and two-time Olympians, and are regarded as two of the finest skaters and ice dancers in the world.
With this website, Madi and Zach are excited to be sharing their journeys with you, their fans. From time to time, this site will catalogue their experiences and their thoughts, in depth. You can also interact with Madi and Zach directly via the "Connect With Us" page. Your support means the world to them, and Madi and Zach are gratified to know that their efforts are drawing appreciative audiences!