Shibutanis take bronze
Canadian duo nab 3rd gold
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — American siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani won the bronze medal with a near-flawless free skate that totaled 192.59 points, edging teammates Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue by just under five points and after being vaulted into first with three pairs remaining.
But the race for the gold medal came down to two teams a cut above the rest.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, after watching their training partners Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron break the world record with a flawless free skate, took the ice for their final Olympic performance with a dazzling, dramatic interpretation of “Moulin Rouge.” Every movement was synchronized, every element raw and emotional, and the only question left at the end was whether it would be enough.
They wound up with a personal-best 122.40 points for a record 206.07 total, pushing them past their French rivals’ score of 205.28 and making them the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history.
It was the second gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games for Virtue and Moir, who were instrumental in helping Canada win the team event. It was also their third gold overall after winning their home Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, and their fifth medal overall after two silvers at the Sochi Games four years ago.
They retired for two years after that disappointment, content with their place in history, only to decide a couple years ago to make one more run at Olympic glory.
They finished it off exactly how they had imagined.
The Americans had assured themselves a medal when the “Shib Sibs,” who helped the U.S. win the team bronze , put on their best performance of the season. Their sharply choreographed show to “Paradise” by Coldplay made up the two-hundredths of a point they trailed Hubbell and Donohue after the short dance.
Papadakis and Cizeron, whose wardrobe malfunction in the short dance made them a trending topic worldwide, drew the penultimate starting number for Tuesday’s free dance. Their score of 123.35 points was exactly what they needed to make a case for gold.
The third American team, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, were also within sight of the podium after their short dance. But a rare and stunning fall entering their combination spin was enough to damage an otherwise beautiful performance to “Imagine” that still drew an emotional applause. —