Olympics / Team USADonohue and Hubbell Win U.S. International Skating Classic Ice Dance Title; Rippon Takes Bronze by Daniel Popoloski September 19, 2016 Zachary Donohue and partner Madison Hubbell won the ice dancing crown at the U.S. International Classic, while Adam Rippon took home bronze in men’s, one of the first skating competitions of the season in Salt Lake City, Utah. Donohue (North Madison, Conn.) and Hubbell put together two incredibly strong routines to breeze through the competition, to take home their first gold of the season. A strong short dance put them into first place by a little over three points, in front of a couple from Japan. A spectacular free dance distanced themselves from the pack, giving them the gold medal. While the field didn’t even include some of the best American ice dancers, it was still a strong showing for the duo. America is looking for the next ice dancing stars following the absence of Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Davis and White may return later this season in order to prepare for a 2018 Olympic comeback and they will definitely be near the top upon their return, but if Donohue and Hubbell can establish themselves early this season, it will help set them up for a chance in South Korea in two years. Rippon (Scranton, PA.) started the competition well, putting together the best score in short program, with an 87.86. As the defending U.S. champion, he was expected to be able to compete for a gold medal, even against 2015 U.S. champion and top-ranked American Jason Brown. Brown hung close to Rippon in the short skate, However, he struggled in the free skate, finishing third, well behind Brown and Takahito Mura of Japan, taking him out of gold medal position. Again, the field didn’t include the top skaters in the world, but it was most of the top skaters in the United States getting ready for the upcoming season. It was an encouraging showing for them against some other international skaters, as they attempt to make a solid mark in 2016-2017. Post Views: 1,247The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest PostsDaniel PopoloskiDan is a Staff Writer here at DoubleGSports.com with a focus on Team USA and the Rio OlympicsLatest posts by Daniel Popoloski (see all) Team USA Proves it Can Win without Phelps, Lochte - July 30, 2017 Sydney McLaughlin becomes first Repeat Gatorade Athlete of Year - July 18, 2017 Local Swimmers Looking to Thrive at World Championships - July 18, 2017 Sydney McLaughlin Dominates New Jersey Meet of Champions - June 14, 2017 Related TopicsAdam RipponFigure SkatingSkatingZachary Donohue Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.Newsletter SubscriptionCan't Miss Posts! Fighting Words: Bellator is Giving Hardy the Credit She Deserves by Kristine Haugsjaa | posted on October 20, 2017 Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Women in Sports: Ariel Epstein, On-Air Host at SportsGrid (VIDEO) by Anthony Paradiso | posted on March 12, 2021 MetLife Stadium to host Army-Navy Game in 2021 by Kelly Lynn | posted on August 23, 2017 The Story of the NHL’s First Armenian, Zach Bogosian and His Biggest Fan by Anthony Paradiso | posted on September 12, 2020More in Olympics / Team USA Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo OlympicsThe 2021 Summer Olympic games are scheduled to take place from July 23 –... You Know I’m Right, Episode 94: Olympic Gold Medalist Lilly King (Audio/Video)On the 94th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst was joined by olympic... The Tokyo 2021 Olympics Will Feature New Amazing SportsSurfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, karate, baseball and softball will compete at the Summer Olympics. You Know I’m Right, Episode 82: NBC’s Mary Carillo (Audio/Video)On the 82nd episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Laurie Hernadez Among Hacked Athletes Eddie Alvarez, Conor McGregor Trade Verbal Jabs at UFC 205 Press Conference