After skating to a bronze medal at the Beijing Games, American ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Connecticut's 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 longtime American standard-bearers in ice dancing embraced Monday after their free dance to Anne Sila’s “Drowning” to wrap up their competition. It marked their last Olympic skate, and the sweetest end to a decade-long career together that produced two world championship silver medals and the title at the Grand Prix Final.

Their bronze also means the United States has medaled in each of the first three figure skating events at the Beijing Olympics. Hubbell and Donohue - who is from Madison - were part of the team silver medal before Nathan Chen, cheering them on Monday from a vocal section of American fans in the corner of the Capital Indoor Stadium, captured gold in the men's event.

“To take in this new experience at the end of our career is something we’re very, very grateful for,” Donohue said.

That silver in the team event from last week — which fourth-place ice dance finishers Madison Chock and Evan Bates also helped earn — could be upgraded to gold if the Russian team is disqualified in a doping case.

In retirement, Hubbell and Donohue plan to go on tour and then start their own figure skating schools.

“We’re both going to start working towards building our own schools and coaching and supporting the sport and new athletes and new generations,” Hubbell said.