MADISON HUBBELL

When Stars on Ice, uh, hits the ice Friday night in Estero, Florida, it will be for the first time in two years.

Olympic ice dance champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron shattered their own rhythm dance world record on Friday to take the lead over two American teams at the world championships in Montpellier, France.

Russian teenager Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete in the women's figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics despite failing a pre-Games drug test, setting her up for an attempt at a second gold medal. (Feb. 14)

After skating to a bronze medal at the Beijing Games, American ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue bent down and kissed the the ice where the Olympic rings were painted. “It was just a moment, I think, for both of us to say goodbye to Olympic ice," Hubbell said, “and thank this journey that’s created, you know, the people that we are today.”

The city of Beijing awoke to a fresh snowfall on Sunday morning. It was the first time snow has fallen on the capital since the Winter Olympics opened on February 4th.

Nathan Chen and the U.S. figure skating team took a surprising lead on the opening day of competition at the Beijing Olympics.

Six-time U.S. champion Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou are headed back to the Olympics, joined by longtime fan favorite Jason Brown on a strong and deep American contingent for next months’ Beijing Games.

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won the final Skate America of their careers on Sunday by a tiny margin.

Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker of the USA perform during the Ice Dance - Rhythm Dance at the Figure Skating World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, Friday, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)STOCKHOLM – Russia extended its dominance at the World Figure Skating Championships on Friday when Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov took the rhythm dance. Already, the Russians have won pairs — they almost always do — and have the lead in the women's event. Another of the favorites, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin of Russia, struggled with some footwork and turns, finishing fifth. Later Friday is the women's free skate, with Anna Shcherbakova of Russia in the lead.

Multiple medals at the World Figure Skating Championships are rare for the United States. Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue collected bronze in ice dance. Hubbell and Donohue figure to be tested by Madison Chock and Evan Bates, with whom they have swapped U.S. titles in recent years. Hubbell and Donohue edged Chock and Bates in January at nationals, reversing the finish for each couple in 2019. “Madison Chock and Evan Bates have only competed once this season, where Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue have been stellar in their events, and I think the momentum is in their favor.

Even with an error at the beginning of his free skate, Chen was unbeatable Sunday, winning his fifth straight U.S. Not since Button won each title from 1946-52 has any American man had such a streak of success. Throw in two world championships and being unbeaten since not medaling at the 2018 Olympics, and Chen already has a resume for the ages. “It’s incredible to try to follow in his footsteps,” Chen said of Button. Only at Skate America in October was Chen able to strut his stuff.