U.S. Figure Skating announced today the ice dance teams who will compete at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as part of the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team.
The ice dance teams are Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (alphabetical order).
Madison Chock and Evan Bates are the 2022 U.S. champions, marking their third trip to the top of the U.S. podium (2015, '20). They are also two-time World medalists (2015, silver; '16, bronze) and two-time Olympians (2014, eighth; 2018, ninth). After earning silver at both of their Grand Prix assignments this season, they qualified for their sixth Grand Prix Final (the event was ultimately canceled). Bates is also a 2010 Olympian with former partner Emily Samuelson and is the first American figure skater to compete at four Olympic Winter Games.
Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker are the 2022 U.S. bronze medalists. The duo also earned bronze in 2019, '20 and '21 and are the 2018 Four Continents champions. They also won the World Junior title in 2014 and placed ninth at the 2021 World Championships. Hawayek and Baker are making their first Olympic appearance in Beijing.
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue are the 2022 U.S. silver medalists. They also won the U.S. title in 2018, '19 and '21, and are three-time World medalists (2018, silver; '19, bronze; '21, silver). The Montreal-based team finished fourth at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. They stood on the podium at both of their Grand Prix assignments this season, qualifying them for their sixth trip to the Grand Prix Final (which was canceled).
Alternates for the 2022 Olympic Team have been named as Caroline Green and Michael Parsons (first alternate), Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville (second alternate), and Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen (third alternate).
The ice dance teams join previously nominated athletes Mariah Bell, Karen Chen, Alysa Liu, Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, and Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier on the 2022 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team.
U.S. Figure Skating also confirmed that each member of the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team is eligible to compete in the Olympic team event. U.S. Figure Skating will work with athletes and their coaches to determine if the athlete will participate in the event.
Each team in the event will consist of one woman, one man, one pairs team and one ice dance team to be selected from athletes who have qualified in their individual disciplines. Each team, however, will be allowed to make up to two exchanges after the short program/rhythm dance. The team event will consist of the 10 best national teams from NOCs/ISU members. The five teams with the highest number of points after the short program/rhythm dance will qualify for the free skate/dance. In the team event, athletes will receive points based on their finishes in each segment of competition.
The 2022 Olympic Winter Games will take place Feb. 4-20, in Beijing, China.
U.S. Figure Skating will announce its men's athletes selected to compete at the Olympic Winter Games, along with the United States' World and Four Continents team following the free skate on Sunday, Jan. 9. Women and men will be named to the 2022 U.S. World Junior Team following the conclusion of the World Junior Singles Camp, Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in Norwood, Massachusetts.
All U.S. Olympic Team nominations are subject to approval by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
