Winter Olympics 2010: Virtue and Moir restore Canadian pride with ice dance gold

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir had roaring Canadian fans leaping to their feet after winning the Winter Olympics ice dance gold medal and revive the host nation's flagging morale.

Virtue and Moir's stirring performance to Mahler's Symphony No. 5 raised the domed roof at the Pacific Coliseum when they were awarded a combined total of 221.57 points to beat Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White by 5.83.

Russian world champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin had been tipped as the Winter Olympics competition favourites but faltering in Sunday's original dance, they could not make up ground and had to settle for bronze.

Related Articles

*

US revels in Canada woe

*

Winter Olympics 2010: medal table

*

Kim Yu-na the queen in waiting

*

Skater Joannie Rochette to compete after mother's death

*

Canada hockey goalie savaged

*

Winter Olympics 2010: daily schedule

"This is the moment we dreamed of. It's everything we dreamed of. We could not be happier," a grinning Moir said as he caressed his gold medal. "I am going to wear it in the shower, I'm not taking it off all week long."

With Canadians reeling from their team's ice hockey defeat to the United States on Sunday, a crowd of 12,000 was willing the home pair to succeed. And it erupted as soon as the four-minute routine ended with Moir down on his knees cradling Virtue's smiling face in his hands.

Davis and White, who share two coaches and train with the champions, took silver for their dramatic Phantom of the Opera exhibition.

Virtue and Moir dazzled their audience with a dance full of intrigue and drama.

"To have that moment with the home crowd and with each other and to have all that hard work pay off, it's amazing," said Moir.

Virtue, 20, added: "Right now, Vancouver is our favourite place to be. It's been the perfect Games."

Sinead and John Kerr finished what could prove their final Olympics in eighth place.

Despite setting a series of season's bests in the competition to finish with a total score of 186.01, medal contention proved a long way off for the Scots, although the crowd was impressed with their routine to Linkin Park's 'Krwing'.

John Kerr said: "Obviously we always want to finish as high as we can and get in a medal position. It's disappointing because we wanted to be higher but so long as you give it your best you can't complain."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/winter-olympics/7297544/Winter-Olympics-2010-Virtue-and-Moir-restore-Canadian-pride-with-ice-dance-gold.html