The pressure at Gangneung Ice Arena was palpable. The world was watching. But in what was among the most memorable four minutes of the Pyeongchang Olympics, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir delivered the skate of their lives.
A world record total score, and a third gold medal that made the Canadian ice dance darlings the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history. Virtue and Moir perfectly executed a golden plan theyB次元官网网址檇 announced B次元官网网址� to mixed reviews B次元官网网址� when theyB次元官网网址檇 returned to the sport 18 months earlier.
B次元官网网址淲hen we announced our comeback, no one was happy, competitors, skaters, family, friends, even our governing body, everyone was surprised, because it was such a risk,B次元官网网址� Virtue said. B次元官网网址淢aybe because we believed in ourselves and believed in what we could pursue, we felt there was so much more to do.B次元官网网址�
On Friday, Virtue and Moir were rewarded for their historic comeback performance by winning the The Canadian Press team of the year award for 2018. The ice dancers picked up 39 of 54 votes (72.2 per cent) in a poll of writers, broadcasters and editors from across the country.
B次元官网网址淰irtue and Moir B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 up there with Torvill and Dean now,B次元官网网址� said Wayne Chamberlain, sports editor of PostmediaB次元官网网址檚 Editorial Services. B次元官网网址漈hey captivated a global audience with their swan song performance and made many a Canadian eye tear up.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian junior hockey team that won gold at the 2018 world junior championships in Buffalo was second with five of 54 votes (9.3 per cent), while LavalB次元官网网址檚 football team that went undefeated and captured the Vanier Cup was third with four votes (7.4 per cent).
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B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 so incredible, I was looking back at the history of this (award) to get some perspective and just trying to understand how 10 months later people still seem to care, or remember us, and itB次元官网网址檚 a great moment to reflect,B次元官网网址� Virtue said. B次元官网网址漁f course itB次元官网网址檚 the end of the year, but 10 months after the Games, itB次元官网网址檚 a nice chance to just take a moment and reflect on the impact at the Olympics had across Canada.B次元官网网址�
Golfer Brooke Henderson captured the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award on Wednesday as the yearB次元官网网址檚 top female athlete, while freestyle skier Mikael Kingsbury won the Lionel Conacher Award as the top male athlete on Thursday.
Partners for two decades, Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., had been melting hearts since they claimed gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games. They stepped away from the sport for two seasons after their silver in Sochi, returning with a single-minded focus of gold in South Korea.
WATCH: Moir says he canB次元官网网址檛 believe he and Virtue have Walk of Fame star
Virtue and Moir held a slim lead over Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France after the short dance, despite the fact Papadakis skated most of the program with the clasp of her dress broken.
The next night, when Papadakis and Cizeron recorded a world record in the free dance, Virtue and Moir were waiting in the wings fingers in ears. They purposely didnB次元官网网址檛 look at any television monitors.
Then Virtue, in a gauzy backless red dress, and Moir, channelling his inner Ewan McGregor, brought the crowd to its feet with their breathtaking performance to music from B次元官网网址淢oulin Rouge,B次元官网网址� a movie theyB次元官网网址檇 loved ever since they saw it together as kids.
B次元官网网址淲e knew we were trained, we were fully confident in our preparation. We had never been in better shape mentally. We were laser focused,B次元官网网址� Virtue said. B次元官网网址淏ut that doesnB次元官网网址檛 take away the nerves and it certainly doesnB次元官网网址檛 take away the gravity of the pressure.
B次元官网网址淭here were so many times throughout that day, and especially that half an hour leading into our final skate, where Scott just looked at me and reminded me: B次元官网网址榊ou know, this is exactly what we asked for. This is what we wanted when we decided to come back to competition,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a B次元官网网址榖ring it onB次元官网网址� sort of a thing. And it was terrifying and unsettling, daunting, and yet also really exhilarating.
B次元官网网址淭hat thrill of taking the ice on the worldB次元官网网址檚 biggest stage, the pressure mounting, I think thatB次元官网网址檚 the sort of exhilaration weB次元官网网址檒l be chasing for the rest of our lives probably.B次元官网网址�
The duo were among the GamesB次元官网网址� most popular athletes. Fans swooned to their chemistry and lapped up the Canadian B次元官网网址渓ove story,B次元官网网址� which wasnB次元官网网址檛 so much a love story as a tale of friends and business partners.
B次元官网网址淰irtue and Moir saved their best for last and captured CanadaB次元官网网址檚 hearts with a flawless Olympic finale in a sport where judging means that is sometimes not enough,B次元官网网址� said Dave Peters, the Montreal GazetteB次元官网网址檚 sports and photo editor.
Virtue still hasnB次元官网网址檛 watched her performance from South Korea. SheB次元官网网址檚 too much of a perfectionist. But millions of people have. Just one YouTube video of their Olympic free dance program has almost three million views.
Virtue and Moir are the second figure skating duo to win the award, which was first presented in 1966 to the Montreal Canadiens. Pairs skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier won it in 2001.
Lori Ewing , The Canadian Press
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