2022 Winter Olympic ice dance teams have ties to Metro Detroit

Figure skaters competing in Olympic games used to train in Detroit area

Madison Chock and Even Bates compete in the ice dance program during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) (Mark Zaleski, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

U.S. Figure Skating has announced the three ice dance teams that will compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics, and they all have ties to Metro Detroit.

The following three teams of ice skaters will be representing Team USA in Beijing next month as ice dance competitors:

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  • Madison Chock and Evan Bates
  • Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue
  • Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker

Chock and Bates beat out Hubbell and Donohue, their close friends and longtime rivals, on Saturday to win their third national figure skating championship. Both teams earned career-best scores during their performances, and both are going to the Olympics.

More: Top U.S. ice dancers share highly competitive friendship

Bates, who is from Ann Arbor, will be competing as an Olympian this year for the fourth time -- the first ever U.S. figure skater to compete in four games. The winter games will be Chock’s and Bates’ third Olympic competition together as an ice dance team.

The national champs used to train at the Novi Ice Arena before moving to Montreal to train after the 2018 Olympics.

Hubbel and Donahue also have Michigan ties: The pair used to train at the Detroit Skating Club, before moving to Montreal to train in 2015. Hubbell grew up in the Lansing area.

Together, Hubbel and Donahue earned fourth place in the 2018 Olympics. Chock, Bates, Hubbel and Donahue all train under the same coaches in Montreal.

First-time Olympians Hawayek and Baker also trained at the Detroit Skating Club before moving to Montreal, themselves. The duo won a bronze medal at Saturday’s national championships.

More: Figure skating: Women’s singles team announced for 2022 Winter Olympics


About the Author

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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