TESSA VIRTUE & SCOTT MOIR

TESSA VIRTUE & SCOTT MOIR

“Greatest ice dancers ever.”

-Tracy Wilson (Former Olympic Skater)

Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir Free Dance at Four Continents 2017

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are the most decorated figure skaters in the world and the most successful Canadian ice dance team in history. They have five Olympic, eleven World Championships, seven Four Continents, and twenty-four Grand Prix medals. They have brought the first Olympic gold medal in ice dancing to their hometown Canada when they are only twenty and twenty-two years old, in Vancouver Olympics 2010. It is absolutely impossible not to admire.

Moir was born in London, Ontario, Canada in 1987. Moir comes from a skating family. Virtue was born in London, Ontario, Canada in 1989. She began skating in 1994. Virtue and Scott Moir began skating together in 1997. They were paired by Moir’s aunt, Carol Moir. She was their coach; she was coaching them at the same time these years. Tessa and Scott were only seven and nine when they were paired. Moir’s aunt thought that the two similarly small, athletic children would make a good match on the ice, and the pair started training at a skating rink in Kitchener. Virtue and Moir’s first major success came in 2004 when the pair won the Canadian junior national championship, and in 2006 they were the ice dancing world junior champions.

After years of successful work and a fine schedule, the pair participated in the Vancouver Olympics. Before that, they were very disappointed that they could not go to the 2006 Olympics. They became the first pair of ice dancers to win a gold medal at the Olympics held in their home country. They were also the youngest, aged twenty and twenty-two, to win an Olympic gold medal in their field. The sense of peace, enthusiasm, and home that being in Canada gave them was obvious. Canada almost embraced and raised this favourite couple. The pride and happiness on Tessa and Scott’s faces felt beautiful in every way. And that would not be their only victory.

Tessa & Scott, Vancouver Olympics 2010

Virtue underwent surgery in October 2010 to reduce the lingering pain in her shins and calves that is a result of chronic exertional compartment syndrome, leading to their withdrawal from Skate Canada. She had the same injury and surgery just before the Vancouver Olympics. Virtue and Moir won a silver medal at the 2011 world championships. Their coach was also training their competitive competitors Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who are from the United States. Also, Meryl and Charlie were a successful pair in ice dancing. At the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, Virtue, and Moir again finished behind Davis and White, taking home the ice dancing silver medal.

Ice dance silver medalist Canada’s Scott Moir hams it up with the Canadian flag as his partner Tessa Virtue looks on during the flowers ceremony at the Sochi Winter Olympics Monday, February 17, 2014, in Sochi. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

After Sochi Olympics, they were decided to step off from ice. They were informally retired but at the same time, they were continuing their ice dancing career but not as a competitive skating. They were skating on tv shows and etc. But they knew they did not achieve their goals and dreams fully. There was something more. So according to this, they planned a two-year returning program. And they returned to the ice, to their home in the 2016 season. They were titled undefeatable on this season. They rocked the rink literally!

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue win the Senior Dance competition as the National Skating Championships continue at the TD Place Place Arena in Ottawa. Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia

In 2016 Virtue and Moir moved their training base to Montreal to be coached by two-time world silver medallists Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon. Virtue and Moir were selected to serve as Team Canada’s Opening Ceremony flag bearers at PyeongChang 2018. They were named the Canadian flag bearers for the Olympics in the opening ceremony. Virtue and Moir won gold as part of Canada’s team in the Olympic team event. The Virtue-Moir pair set a world record with a time of 83.67 in the short program. They skated with Moulin Rouge music in their free dance, and they have melted our hearts, again and again, we fell in love with their skating.

Tessa & Scott at Pyeongchang Olympics, 2018. Moulin Rouge, Free Dance Program

Tessa & Scott at Pyeongchang Olympics, 2018. Rolling Stones, Latin Medley, Short Dance Program

Here is a link for their epic Moulin Rouge skating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOEKdWrtz6U&ab_channel=Olympics

Tessa & Scott at Pyeongchang Olympics, 2018. Podium Ceremony

They earned 122.40 in the free program event, reaching a total score of 206.07, setting a new world record in this field. The Canadian duo also achieved unprecedented success in this area, bringing their total medal count at the Winter Olympics to five. This was Virtue and Moir’s fifth Olympic medal, making them the most decorated figure skaters in history.

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue during Fall 2018 Thank You Canada Tour.
Photo credit: Danielle Earl Photography (CNW Group/Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir)

After all the victories and having made a name for themselves around the world, the couple organized a nationwide tour called Thank you Canada Tour to thank their country for their support.

Tessa & Scott at Thank You Canada Tour, 2019. After their last dance.

Unfortunately, they announce in the fall of 2019 that they will now retire from their twenty-two-year career, which has amazed us. The couple, who did their last dance before the end of the year and retired, printed their names on the history pages in the best way possible. I loved ice skating with them, followed with them. Thanks to them, I discovered and saw new names, athletes. They have added a lot to me, even just as a spectator. On my behalf, once again, I thank to them. I hope they inspire a lot more people. Next up is the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which I have been eagerly waiting for. It will be quite exciting to watch the new Olympic Athletes.

Aslı Diken

⛸If you enjoy figure skating, you can find more here:

Bonus: Zachary and Madison, we will be watching them at the 2022 Winter Olympics 🍀

REFERENCES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE33j9JI4qo&ab_channel=NationalPost

Türkiye, E. (2018, February 20). Buz dansının rekortmen şampiyonları Tessa Virtue ve Scott Moir. Eurosport. https://www.eurosport.com.tr/buz-pateni/pyeongchang/2018/buz-dansinin-rekortmen-sampiyonlari-tessa-virtue-ve-scott-moir-kanada-pyeongchang-2018_sto6637899/story.shtml