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Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue

Madison Hubbelland Zachary Donohue are ending their Olympic careers with a bang.

Fellow Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates fell short of the podium, finishing in fourth with a score of 214.77.

“I have always been told since I was a little girl that my journey through skating should always be about the days and the moments, not just the accolades. I think this medal only came because we really took that to heart in the last four years,” Hubbell, 30, said after the win.

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Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue

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“We tried to skate like normal, like we do every day at practice and trusted that would be enough. And it was, so we couldn’t be more grateful,” she continued.

“It was a really emotional performance for us,'' Donohue, 31, agreed. “It just hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

Prior to the competition, Hubbell and Donohue opened up toPEOPLEabout their final Olympic run and enjoying every moment.

“I think it’s quite empowering in some ways, as we get to own the space in our career that we’re in. On the other hand, it’s fueling us to really take in every moment,” Donohue said before he and his partner left for China.

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue

“I think we’ll do it in shows. We’ll continue to be in the community. We both want to have some part in coaching and doing choreography,” Hubbell told PEOPLE. “I don’t think we’ll ever truly stop.”

However, she continued, “I am looking forward to being able to make choices that every day aren’t with skating as my No. 1 priority” — especially after the past 15 years of all-consuming focus.

To learn more about Team USA, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Winter Olympics, now, and the Paralympics, beginning March 4, on NBC.

source: people.com