Canadians excel at Skate Canada International
SAINT JOHN, N.B. — It was an unspoken moment before the music began, a shared realization they were competing in what will likely be their Skate Canada finale.
Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the short dance at Skate Canada International on Friday night, despite a couple of noticeable and uncharacteristic errors.
“It was emotional,” Moir said. “We talk about this ... it’s about enjoying the journey, enjoying the process, and we’re at great moments in our careers right now. We’re healthy, we’re strong, we still think we’re young — maybe the rest of the skating world doesn’t realize it — but it’s a beautiful thing and we’re really enjoying it.’’
Virtue and Moir scored 73.15 points for their foxtrot and quickstep, edging fellow Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje by less than three points.
Patrick Chan, meanwhile, opened his season by winning the men’s short program. The three-time world champion from Toronto scored 88.10 points, but tripled his quad toe loop attempt and couldn’t hold the landing on his second triple toe loop.
Earlier, Canadians Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won the pairs short program with 69.57 points. They skated to “Tribute,” which Radford — a pianist who studied at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music — wrote in 2006, the day after his coach Paul Wirtz died of cancer.