Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are a step closer to ending their Olympic careers with gold medals around their necks.
The three-time world champions and ice dancing partners for two decades scored 83.67 points in MondayB次元官网网址檚 short dance to B次元官网网址淪ympathy for the Devil,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淗otel California,B次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淥ye Como Va,B次元官网网址� to sit first at the Pyeongchang Games. The score topped their own previous world mark of 82.68 set at Skate Canada International in October.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 something we are really proud of,B次元官网网址� said Moir. B次元官网网址漈hat is every athleteB次元官网网址檚 goal here and to come out and do the best you can. And to do it on this stage, weB次元官网网址檙e really, really proud of that. We know our work isnB次元官网网址檛 over. ItB次元官网网址檚 a long event. The biggest chunk is tomorrow and we have to stay on our game.B次元官网网址�
French rivals Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron scored 81.93 for second.
Virtue, a 28-year-old from London, Ont., and the 30-year-old Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., won Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010. They lost to Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White four years later in Sochi, and then took two seasons off, returning in hopes of reclaiming gold.
Virtue and Moir, who will retire after Pyeongchang, were undefeated in their return until losing to Papadakis and Cizeron in the Grand Prix Final in December.
CanadaB次元官网网址檚 other duos also qualified for the free dance, with Andrew Poje and Kaitlyn Weaver sitting eighth with 74.33 points and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirer earning 69.60 for ninth. The free dance is Tuesday.
B次元官网网址淲e tried to go there and really soak in the environment and the energy that is the Olympics,B次元官网网址� said Poje. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an amazing experience to be part of the team here and the great environment of all the athletes.B次元官网网址�
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Skier Cassie Sharpe is off to a promising start in the womenB次元官网网址檚 halfpipe, taking the top spot in qualifying.
Sharpe, from Comox, B.C., scored 93.40 on her second run after a 93.00 on her first time down the halfpipe. In halfpipe, the best score from two runs counts.
B次元官网网址淥n my first run I just really wanted to land, thatB次元官网网址檚 like my biggest thing for my confidence,B次元官网网址� said Sharpe. B次元官网网址滻f I donB次元官网网址檛 land my first run, I have a hard time coming back from that, so I just really wanted to land my run, and then after that I was like B次元官网网址極K, I want to qualify first because I want to drop last in the finalB次元官网网址�.
B次元官网网址淏ecause if you do well through that, you can drop last, and itB次元官网网址檚 your victory lap. ItB次元官网网址檚 the best feeling in the world. So if I can get another one of those, I mean, IB次元官网网址檓 so excited.B次元官网网址�
CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Rosalind Groenewoud qualified 11th with a score of 73.20. The top 12 competitors move on to TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 finals.
FranceB次元官网网址檚 Marie Martinod was second with 92.00 points and Brita Sigourney of the United States was third with 90.60 points.
In womenB次元官网网址檚 big air, Laurie Blouin of Stoneham, Que., was fourth after the qualifying round. She scored 92.25 in her second qualifying run for the big air competition, landing a cab double underflip, the same trick she tried in her first run. In big air, the best score from two runs counts.
B次元官网网址淚 did one of my biggest tricks that I have 100 per cent on lock to make sure I make it through to final,B次元官网网址� said Blouin. B次元官网网址淔or the final I have another big trick, so IB次元官网网址檓 going to have to work hard in practice.B次元官网网址�
Blouin suffered a head injury when she fell during training for the womenB次元官网网址檚 slopestyle on Feb. 9, but went on to win a silver medal in that event.
Spencer OB次元官网网址橞rien of Courtenay, B.C., was 11th after earning 76.75 points in her second run. The top 12 competitors advance to FridayB次元官网网址檚 finals.
AustriaB次元官网网址檚 Anna Gasser was first in qualifying with 98.00 points in her second run, followed up by JapanB次元官网网址檚 Yuka Fujimori (94.25) and Reira Iwabuchi (92.75).
In curling, the losing streak continues for Kevin KoeB次元官网网址檚 curling rink. The Calgary skip lost his third straight game Monday, a 9-7 decision against the U.S. in extra ends.
The loss drops CanadaB次元官网网址檚 record to 4-3, but still has Koe in a playoff position. HeB次元官网网址檚 tied for third with Britain.
The top four make the semifinals.
On the womenB次元官网网址檚 side, Rachel Homan pulled her rink into playoff contention with an 8-3 win over Japan.
The Canadians have won three straight after beginning the tournament with three losses.
B次元官网网址淲e had to let go of the past and focus on the present, one game and one shot at the time,B次元官网网址� said Homan of the turnaround. B次元官网网址漇tay in the moment, but still enjoying our time here and our experience as Olympians. IB次元官网网址檓 really proud that weB次元官网网址檙e here representing Canada and weB次元官网网址檙e going to give it our all and leave it out there.
B次元官网网址淚f itB次元官网网址檚 good enough, awesome, and we canB次元官网网址檛 wait to hopefully make playoff. If itB次元官网网址檚 not good enough, the team comes out that plays better than us deserves to win.B次元官网网址�
The win put Canada into a tie for fourth with China and Britain at 3-3.
Later Monday, Canada plays the team from Russia in the womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey semifinals.
The Canadian Press
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