Canada’s Virtue/Moir knock off Russians, win Ice Dancing gold
WashingtonPost.com,
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 -
A new guard was introduced Monday night in Vancouver, when ice dancing Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir claimed their country’s first gold in the sport, knocking off reigning world champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia, who finished with bronze. For only the third time since ice dance became an Olympic sport in 1976, the gold went to someone other than a Russian or Soviet couple. The American duo of two-time U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White gave the United States back-to-back dance medals for the first time, winning silver. Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, silver medalists in Torino, were fourth.
"North America has really been on the verge of something big for several years," Davis said. "To have this experience and be a part of it, we're really so grateful. With the [seven-year-old] international judging system, it allowed a lot of North American teams to thrive . . . and get rewarded it."
The enormity of the occasion was not lost on either Virtue or Moir, who, after the medal ceremony, spoke to reporters about their accomplishment.
"This is our Stanley Cup," Moir said, holding up his gold medal. "What a night. What a week for us. . . . To get up there on the ice and execute like that, I've never had a feeling like that before . . . It's a little bit more fun when you're out there in front of 11,000 crazy Canadian fans."
Though they represented different countries at these Olympic Games, Davis and White and Virtue and Moir all train together in Canton, Mich. The Detroit Free Press has referred to the Canadian team as "Canton-adians," but there was no confusion for the crowd at Pacific Coliseum. They two teams embraced heartily when they received their medals after the competition.
"I think all four of us have kind of dreamed of this for so long, to have it come to reality is so amazing," Davis said.
Said Moir: "Not a single person left. Usually there are about ten people around for the medal ceremony, so what a moment. . . . We worked so hard for this. We're so proud to have gold in Canada."