Onw word can describe what happened last night in the ice dance free dance final. WOW! Canada’s three time national champions and two-time world medallists, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir became Olympic champions.
They posted a personal best score for their free dance to Mahler’s 5th symphony and they were perfection. the audience were drawn in to their story of hope, joy and love and you could have heard a pin drop in the building.
The American team of Meryl Davis and Charlie White took the silver and were also at their very best. they skated to Phantom of The Opera with a program as difficult as Virtue and Moir’s the only thing separating them is the Canadians’ “je ne sais quoi” chemistry on the ice.
They started out as the leaders after the compulsory dance and eventually had to settle for the bronze. Oksana Domnina and maxim Shabalin of the Russian Federation also posted a season’s best scrore but it wasn’t enough to overtake the Americans.
Heading to the ice today are the women in their short program.
In a show of unbelieveable emotional strength, Canada’s six time national champion and defending world silver medallist, Joannie Rochette has decided to compete. Her mother, Therese, passed away unexpedtedly here in Vancouver overnight on Saturday leaving some to wonder what Joannie would do. She wants to compete. Some might wonder why but I think that in some ways “the rink” is the easiest place to be right now; familiar, comfortable and surrounded by friends and where everything to do with the sport is in its’ rightful place maybe helping to give her a little balance in this terrible time of grief. As a mother, it seems right that she would want to pay tribute to her own Mom in this way.
I have faith that coming into these Olympics she was already a contender. If she is able to keep her heart out of her skate and rely on her muscle memory and training to help her body do what it already know hows to do so well, she will be in good shape.
There is no doubt that this is a tough field and that it can go lots of different ways. As always, am willing to state my opinion.
Pj’s Podium Picks:
GOLD Yu-NA Kim KOR
SILVER Mao Asada JPN
BRONZE Joannie Rochette CAN