PLAYING THE LONG GAMES
‘Worth the wait’ for figure skating’s Moir and Virtue
Scott Moir wanted to be at the bobsled track on Sunday morning, to use what’s left of his voice to cheer drivers Justin Kripps, Chris Spring, Nick Poloniato and their crews on to another Olympic medal.
So his normally healthy disdain for the superfluous spectacle that is the exhibition gala was elevated. You see, in figure skating, the show after the big show, even at the biggest sporting show on the planet, has to go on. The gala is a cheesy encore that amounts to advertising fodder for TV and another ticketed event for local organizers and the International Olympic Committee.
It should not in any way or shape form your lasting memory of Canadian ice dancing icons Tessa Virtue and Moir at these Olympics.
“When you’ve taken so long to prepare those other programs, you don’t have time to make a good show number, so you pick a piece of music that means something to you and try to show the fans a couple cool tricks and that’s about it,” said Moir.
And they did that. They picked Long Time Running by the late Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, a song that resonates with all Canadians; they tossed in some intricate lifts, and that was in fact, about it.
“It has been a long time coming,” said Moir, summing up the journey from Vancouver to Pyeongchang, from gold medal to gold medal.
“It’s been eight years since we were on top at this stage and a lot goes into it, and it was worth the wait. We have been so fortunate. We’re proud of the body of work we’ve been able to do and the commitment to our careers and our sport.”
That’s one reason why the gala stands out. It’s a half-assed affair. Even the flower retrievers took most of the day off, the odd one sent out to retrieve bits of clothing, since some skaters see the gala as a reason to shed a layer.
Virtue and Moir didn’t half-ass their way out of retirement and onto the top step of the podium here. They didn’t half-ass their way through a stellar 20-year partnership that produced five Olympic medals.
And thankfully, that’s not how Canadians will remember them at these Games. The memory ought to be a free dance that produced chills and tears and forced a gold medal from the clutches of certain judges who were hoping to see the one tiny imperfection that would justify their obvious preference for the French dancers.
Or the memory could be Moir at the women’s gold medal hockey game, where with beer in hand, arms spread wide, and toque askew he became an instant meme for all mildly outraged Canadians by chiding the referees for handing the Americans yet another power play.
He went to curling, and to Canada Olympic House for a show by The Arkells too. The man got around and everywhere he went the cameras were sure to follow.
The post-gold glow has been different here they say than it was in Vancouver in 2010, for many reasons, but mostly because they are different people.
“I think just age and maturity and understanding the magnitude of it,” said Virtue. “Also, this decision to come back and do things differently, it’s fulfilling that our hard work was rewarded and it all feels different in that way. We’re different people. And I would hope so after eight years. I don’t know if it’s better, but that feeling after the free dance is probably the best feeling we’ve ever had on the ice.”
They were better than they have ever been. The 17-member figure skating team was the most productive ever, with four medals. And the larger Team Canada won 29 medals, more than ever before. That made their experience different too.
“I talked a lot about this before but it’s the closeness of the team,” said Moir. “Every time I turn on the Olympics there is somebody that I know and have had intense conversations with, and that’s cool. We’re a tight team. There is almost such a gruelling schedule that you can’t keep up, but it’s so much fun and so worth it.”
They’re done competing now, but hardly old news. They will do about 30 shows in Japan and Canada in the spring, as their performance lives take new shape, and many people will buy tickets for another look at their favourite dancers.
They look forward to celebrating their way across Canada, and to the freedom the shows afford, since there are no judges to appease, no technical requirements to satisfy. But they will miss competing at the biggest sporting show on earth.
“There’s something about an Olympic Games and representing Canada and being part of that greater team, so when we’re 70 we’ll be wanting to be Olympians still,” said Virtue. “That stays with you, I think.”