Virtue, Moir set new ice dance world record
Papadakis suffers ‘worst nightmare’
GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Feb 19, (AFP): Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir smashed the short dance world record as French rival Gabriella Papadakis suffered “my worst nightmare” with a wardrobe malfunction at the Olympics on Monday.
As Virtue and Moir glided, twizzled and spun their way to a best-ever score of 83.67, Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron performed stoically in the face of the embarrassment of her dress becoming unclipped early in their routine, exposing a breast.
“It was pretty distracting, my worst nightmare at the Olympics,” the 22-year-old Papadakis said. “I felt it right away and I prayed. “I told myself ‘you have to keep going’ and that’s what we did, and we have to be proud of ourselves, delivering a great performance with that happening.”
A great performance it was with the Olympic debutants’ samba-rhumbasamba to two Ed Sheeran hits earning them 81.93 to go into Tuesday’s free dance final just behind the Canadians.
Lying in the bronze medal position in this discipline likened to ballroom dancing on ice were Americans Madison
Meghan Duggan inflicted on Finland’s Ronja Savolainen, sending her facefirst into the boards.
“My head just got hit on the boards. But I’m good,” Savolainen said. “I was taking so long my feet were pretty Hubbell and Zachary Donohue.
Remarkably, all three couples are Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Canada’s Scott Moir compete in the ice dance short dance of the figure skating event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung
on Feb 19. (AFP)
cold.” Duggan said she didn’t expect an issue regarding a possible ban for the final.
“I don’t think so,” Duggan said. “There wasn’t a call on the ice. We kept going.” coached at the same centre of skating excellence in Montreal run by MarieFrance Dubreuil and her husband Patrice Lauzon.
After bettering the record they themselves had set of 82.68, Virtue commented: “Better than setting the record was the feeling we had when the music ended, we were able to look at each other and take a moment and feel that pride, knowing that we had to have a strong skate today.”
Despite their show-stopping sambarhumba-cha
FIGURE SKATING
performance to the Rolling Stones and the Eagles’ Hotel California a second ice dance title is by no means in the bag for Scott and Moir as Papadakis and Cizeron could well overtake them if they produce their best free dance.
“Our work is not over,” conceded Moir, who despite his vast experience — this is his third Olympics — admitted to an attack of the jitters as the music for their routine began.
The Americans, who have not won Olympic gold since the first women’s tournament in 1998 at Nagano, outshot Canada 45-23 in the loss last week.
“We had a lot of point-blank scoring opportunities. We’ve got to find a way
“I was pretty nervous today, but I was able to look into Tessa’s eyes and squeeze her hand, she was a rock today, I needed that.”
The pair were ice dance champions in Vancouver in 2010 but in Sochi four years ago Virtue and Moir, who joined forces way back in 1997, were edged out of defending their title by their then training partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
They then took two years out, switched coaches, and returned better than ever, claiming their second world title at the expense of Papadakis and Cizeron in Helsinki last year.
Having taken silver in the team event in Sochi too they helped Canada turn that into gold in Pyeongchang last week, and are now — barring disaster — certain to claim a record fifth figure skating medal.
For Moir, the Olympic experience is truly awe-inspiring.
“At this point in our career we have a better grasp of what it’s like to skate with the (Olympic) rings on the ice.
“This is what the spirit of the Games is all about.”
to get those in the net,” LamoureuxDavidson said.
“When you put 45 shots on goal you’ve got to be able to put more than one into the net. We just have to find a way to finish.”