The pressure at Gangneung Ice Arena was palpable. The world was watching. But in what was among the most memorable four minutes of the Pyeongchang Olympics, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir delivered the skate of their lives.
A world record total score, and a third gold medal that made the Canadian ice dance darlings the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history. Virtue and Moir perfectly executed a golden plan they害羞草研究所檇 announced 害羞草研究所� to mixed reviews 害羞草研究所� when they害羞草研究所檇 returned to the sport 18 months earlier.
害羞草研究所淲hen we announced our comeback, no one was happy, competitors, skaters, family, friends, even our governing body, everyone was surprised, because it was such a risk,害羞草研究所� Virtue said. 害羞草研究所淢aybe because we believed in ourselves and believed in what we could pursue, we felt there was so much more to do.害羞草研究所�
On Friday, Virtue and Moir were rewarded for their historic comeback performance by winning the The Canadian Press team of the year award for 2018. The ice dancers picked up 39 of 54 votes (72.2 per cent) in a poll of writers, broadcasters and editors from across the country.
害羞草研究所淰irtue and Moir 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 up there with Torvill and Dean now,害羞草研究所� said Wayne Chamberlain, sports editor of Postmedia害羞草研究所檚 Editorial Services. 害羞草研究所漈hey captivated a global audience with their swan song performance and made many a Canadian eye tear up.害羞草研究所�
The Canadian junior hockey team that won gold at the 2018 world junior championships in Buffalo was second with five of 54 votes (9.3 per cent), while Laval害羞草研究所檚 football team that went undefeated and captured the Vanier Cup was third with four votes (7.4 per cent).
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害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 so incredible, I was looking back at the history of this (award) to get some perspective and just trying to understand how 10 months later people still seem to care, or remember us, and it害羞草研究所檚 a great moment to reflect,害羞草研究所� Virtue said. 害羞草研究所漁f course it害羞草研究所檚 the end of the year, but 10 months after the Games, it害羞草研究所檚 a nice chance to just take a moment and reflect on the impact at the Olympics had across Canada.害羞草研究所�
Golfer Brooke Henderson captured the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award on Wednesday as the year害羞草研究所檚 top female athlete, while freestyle skier Mikael Kingsbury won the Lionel Conacher Award as the top male athlete on Thursday.
Partners for two decades, Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., had been melting hearts since they claimed gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games. They stepped away from the sport for two seasons after their silver in Sochi, returning with a single-minded focus of gold in South Korea.
WATCH: Moir says he can害羞草研究所檛 believe he and Virtue have Walk of Fame star
Virtue and Moir held a slim lead over Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France after the short dance, despite the fact Papadakis skated most of the program with the clasp of her dress broken.
The next night, when Papadakis and Cizeron recorded a world record in the free dance, Virtue and Moir were waiting in the wings fingers in ears. They purposely didn害羞草研究所檛 look at any television monitors.
Then Virtue, in a gauzy backless red dress, and Moir, channelling his inner Ewan McGregor, brought the crowd to its feet with their breathtaking performance to music from 害羞草研究所淢oulin Rouge,害羞草研究所� a movie they害羞草研究所檇 loved ever since they saw it together as kids.
害羞草研究所淲e knew we were trained, we were fully confident in our preparation. We had never been in better shape mentally. We were laser focused,害羞草研究所� Virtue said. 害羞草研究所淏ut that doesn害羞草研究所檛 take away the nerves and it certainly doesn害羞草研究所檛 take away the gravity of the pressure.
害羞草研究所淭here were so many times throughout that day, and especially that half an hour leading into our final skate, where Scott just looked at me and reminded me: 害羞草研究所榊ou know, this is exactly what we asked for. This is what we wanted when we decided to come back to competition,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� a 害羞草研究所榖ring it on害羞草研究所� sort of a thing. And it was terrifying and unsettling, daunting, and yet also really exhilarating.
害羞草研究所淭hat thrill of taking the ice on the world害羞草研究所檚 biggest stage, the pressure mounting, I think that害羞草研究所檚 the sort of exhilaration we害羞草研究所檒l be chasing for the rest of our lives probably.害羞草研究所�
The duo were among the Games害羞草研究所� most popular athletes. Fans swooned to their chemistry and lapped up the Canadian 害羞草研究所渓ove story,害羞草研究所� which wasn害羞草研究所檛 so much a love story as a tale of friends and business partners.
害羞草研究所淰irtue and Moir saved their best for last and captured Canada害羞草研究所檚 hearts with a flawless Olympic finale in a sport where judging means that is sometimes not enough,害羞草研究所� said Dave Peters, the Montreal Gazette害羞草研究所檚 sports and photo editor.
Virtue still hasn害羞草研究所檛 watched her performance from South Korea. She害羞草研究所檚 too much of a perfectionist. But millions of people have. Just one YouTube video of their Olympic free dance program has almost three million views.
Virtue and Moir are the second figure skating duo to win the award, which was first presented in 1966 to the Montreal Canadiens. Pairs skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier won it in 2001.
Lori Ewing , The Canadian Press
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