NANCY ARMOUR
AP National Writer
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s brought the house down at the Pacific Coliseum.
Knocked the Russians right off their traditional spot atop the ice dance podium, too.
Virtue and Moir won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance Monday night, a first for the Canadians – heck, for anybody in North America. For only the third time since ice dance became an Olympic sport in 1976, a Russian or Soviet couple did not win the dance gold.
The Russians couldn’t even win the silver, either. That went to two-time U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White, giving the United States back-to-back dance medals for the first time. Davis and White’s silver was the 25th medal won by the U.S., matching its record set in 2006 for medals won at a non-domestic Olympics.
The Americans are guaranteed of passing that, because the U.S. women’s hockey team can do no worse than a silver medal.
Reigning world champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia were third. Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, silver medalists at the 2006 Olympics, were fourth.
Virtue’s jaw dropped when she saw their overall score of 221.57 and Moir jumped to his feet, screaming almost as loudly as the crowd that was shattering the decibel meter. With Davis and White, second after the original dance, already done, Virtue and Moir knew the gold was all but theirs.
Virtue and Moir’s program was tender and sensual, like a married couple who has stolen away for a romantic evening. Their gentle, slow start showcased their skating skills, their edges so quiet and smooth they appeared to float above the ice. Make no mistake, though, there was plenty of strength behind that softness.
They had as much power and speed as those hockey players Moir likes so much, but it was displayed with balletic grace. Their combination spin seemed to go on forever, with many different positions and edge changes.
And their lifts, oh my. Virtue looked almost angelic on one, balancing on his right thigh with her arms outstretched while he stayed in a deep-knee spread eagle before flipping down into his arms.