Virtue/Moir

Virtue and Moir capture first World title

2010-03-26T19:56:00.003-05:00

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue skate in the free dance portion of the World Championships in Turin, Italy on March 26, 2010 (image via AP Photo)

From CBC.ca:

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir capped their magical season Friday with their first world championship in ice dance in Turin, Italy.

Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., earned 110.01 points for their free dance performance to Mahler's Symphony No. 5, to help them finish just 1.40 points ahead of friends Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States.

Read more from CBC.ca here.

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue embrace on the medal stand after winning the gold medal at the World Championships in Turin, Italy on March 26, 2010 (image via AP Photo)

Virtue and Moir hold on to lead after original dance at Worlds

2010-03-25T21:44:00.004-05:00

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir dance the flamenco during the original dance portion of the World Championships in Turin, Italy on March 25, 2010 (image via Getty Images)

From the AFP:

A passionate Spanish Flamenco kept Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's dream of following their Olympic gold with the world title on track Thursday as they held their lead after the original dance at the world figure skating championships here.

The Canadians skated to Farrucas by Pepe Romero to extend the lead they took after the opening compulsory dance to nearly two points on American rivals and friends Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Virtue and Moir scored 70.27 points, giving them a total of 114.40 points, with Olympic runners-up Davis and White achieving 69.29 for their Bollywood-themed routine, and an overall 112.54.

Italy's Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali are third with 100.01.

Read more from the AFP here.

Virtue and Moir in lead at Worlds after compulsory dance

2010-03-23T23:08:00.006-05:00

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir skate in the compulsory dance portion of the World Championships in Turin, Italy on March 23, 2010 (image via Reuters Pictures)

From The Associated Press:

Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have topped training partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White again, winning the compulsory dance to take an early lead at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Virtue and Moir scored 44.13 points Tuesday, putting the Canadians 0.88 points ahead of Davis and White, the silver medalists at the Vancouver Olympics. Italy's Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali were third with 40.85 points.

Read more from the AP at Google News

Virtue and Moir take home Canada's very first ice dancing gold

2010-02-23T19:49:00.004-06:00

Olympic ice dancing champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir pose with their gold medals in Vancouver (image via Getty Images)

Congratulations to Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who won the gold medal in yesterday's ice dancing event at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics!

Tessa and Scott led their competitors after turning in an incredible flamenco dance during Sunday's original dance portion of the competition, and they sealed their victory on Monday night with an elegant free dance to Mahler's 5th in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

Their American training partners, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, claimed the silver medal, and Russian pair Domnina and Shabalin won the bronze.

Scott and Tessa are the first Canadians -- and the first North Americans -- to win the ice dancing competition at the Olympic Games. They are also the youngest ice dancing team ever to win gold.

Both Scott and Tessa were emotional in press interviews after their win. "This is our Stanley Cup," Scott explained, adding, "We knew it was in us. But to get out there on the Olympic ice and to perform and to execute like that, it's a feeling that I've never had."

Tessa chimed in, "It's been 13 years of skating together. What a journey. It's been so many ups and downs, so many sacrifices. We've grown up together. We're best friends. It's just so amazing to share this together."

And it was amazing for all of us watching, too. Congratulations to them, and let's hope for many more victories for Virtue and Moir in the future!

New York Times: For Canadian Dance Pair, Gold Is 'Our Stanley Cup'
Toronto Star: Moir, Virtue capture ice-dancing gold

Virtue/Moir in second after Olympic compulsory dance

2010-02-20T19:25:00.003-06:00

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue perform the tango romantica during the compulsory dance round at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver (image via Reuters Pictures)

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are in second place after the first round of ice dancing competition at this year's Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.

The hometown crowd clapped along with the music as the pair danced the tango romantica. They were the final competitors to skate in this portion of the competition, and they earned 42.74 points for the routine. Their score positioned them in second place, just behind Russia's Domnina/Shabalin (43.76) and ahead of two American couples, Davis/White (41.47) and Belbin/Agosto (40.83).

The original dance portion of the competition will be held on Sunday. Virtue and Moir will skate their Flamenco program in the fifth and final group, in the second-to-last slot of the evening.

You can see video of V/M's compulsory dance at NBC's Olympics website, and you can view more photos of the dance at Daylife.

Virtue/Moir at 2009 Worlds Exhibition

2009-03-30T23:25:00.002-05:00

Scott and Tessa dance to "Jack and Diane"
YouTube video courtesy diodio0013

Virtue/Moir take bronze at 2009 World Championships

2009-03-29T14:15:00.005-05:00

Medals Ceremony, World Championships, 27 March 2009
image via AP Photo

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir hung on to win the bronze medal at the World Championships in Los Angeles, California on Friday. Their free dance, to "Great Gig in the Sky" and "Money" by Pink Floyd, was scored fourth overall, earning them the combined score to place third.

YouTube video courtesy 4seasonsD

News links:
Globe and Mail - Bronze for Virtue, Moir
London Free Press - Virtue and Moir win bronze
CBC.ca - Virtue, Moir win bronze at worlds
Vancouver Sun - Figure Skating: Virtue and Moir win bronze at worlds

Virtue and Moir have tough go in original dance at Worlds

2009-03-27T14:01:00.000-05:00

Original Dance, World Championships, 26 March 2009
image via AP Photo

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir had a disappointing performance in the original dance at the World Championships in Los Angeles on Thursday. A mistake in the twizzle portion of the dance dropped them to sixth place for the segment, though they narrowly retained third place overall.

YouTube video courtesy pvskater888

News links:
Globe and Mail - The twizzle fizzles for Virtue, Moir
CBC.ca - Virtue, Moir third going into free dance at worlds
Vancouver Sun - Ice dance: Virtue and Moir face tough odds after stumble

Virtue & Moir in third after compulsories at Worlds

2009-03-25T15:41:00.004-05:00

Compulsory Dance, World Championships, 24 March 2009
image via Reuters Pictures

Scott and Tessa are back on the ice at the World Championships in Los Angeles! They scored a 39.37 for their compulsory Paso Doble, and they are currently in third place behind Russians Domnina and Shabalin and Americans Belbin and Agosto. The original dance portion of the competition will be held on Thursday afternoon.

YouTube video courtesy pvskater888

News links:
London Free Press article on the scoring of the compulsories, including quotes from Scott and Tessa.
Canadian Press article on V/M post-compulsories.

New Virtue/Moir photos from Four Continents

2009-02-14T11:44:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, V/M fans!

The first clips of Scott and Tessa from the Canadian "I BELIEVE" campaign has landed on the internet; here's the short initial YouTube video, courtesy YT user youkilledken:

Also, as an extra Valentine treat, the ISF website has posted a series of collages featuring photos from a Four Continents event on their website, including photos of Tessa and Scott alongside other international skaters. Click here to visit the site and view the photos.

Virtue/Moir get high fashion marks

2009-02-12T20:30:00.002-06:00

Compulsory Dance, Four Continents Championships, 4 February 2009
image via AP Photo/Paul Chiasson

Tessa and Scott may have gotten second place at Four Continents, but one blogger thinks they scored well in the fashion competition. Hilary at Stylefinds has the following take on their fashion choices last week:

"Ice dance is probably guilty of more crimes against fashion than any other figure skating discipline. I give high marks to Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir for their costumes in the compulsory dance and the original dance. I'm a little ambivalent on their styling fo the free dance, which is set to the music of Pink Floyd. Actually, Scott looks fine but I'm still not sold on Tessa's dress. My friend - who I took to watch some of the ice dance with me - loved the dress!"

What did all of you think -- which of Scott and Tessa's costumes from Four Continents were the best?

More Virtue/Moir video and links from Four Continents

2009-02-09T17:22:00.003-06:00

Tessa and Scott did not perform at the gala exhibition yesterday at Four Continents, but I do have a few other tidbits to share from 4CCs today. First, some news links:

From The Globe and Mail, an interview with the CEO of Skate Canada, who expresses concern that Tessa has returned to the ice too quickly after her autumn surgeries.

This article from TheRecord.com features an interview with Tessa about her injuries and the countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

And here's another look at the free dance from Four Continents, from YouTuber marthe1002:

Virtue/Moir weekend news links

2009-02-08T10:06:00.003-06:00

While we all wait for today's Four Continents gala exhibition (I believe Tessa and Scott are still on target to perform at the gala, which will be held at 3 PM ET), here are some news and interview links in the follow-up from Virtue/Moir's silver-medal this week:

The Canadian Press has an article about the second-place finish that includes extensive quotes from Scott and Tessa, specifically their post-injury comeback.

Another recap article from The Globe and Mail sees the silver medal as "another brick in their comeback."

The Province has an interview with Tessa and Scott that again focuses on her recovery (and notes that Tessa Virtue would be a great name for a superhero!).

ice-dance.com has a photo gallery of pictures from the post-free dance press conference that includes pictures of Tessa and Scott.

And, a little silly fun from December: Scott and Tessa talk to TV Guide Canada about their favorite holiday TV and movies and why Scott would make a great Santa Claus. :)

Video of Virtue/Moir's 4CCs free dance

2009-02-07T13:14:00.001-06:00

Video of yesterday's silver-medal-winning free dance from Tessa and Scott is up on YouTube already! Thanks to user PneSkate2010 for uploading it. They're definitely growing stronger and making improvements even since Canadians -- good for them!

Video of Virtue/Moir OD at Four Continents

2009-02-06T19:29:00.002-06:00

Still waiting for video of today's free dance to go live on YouTube, but here's Thursday's original dance, uploaded by the awesome marthe1002:

Virtue/Moir take second at Four Continents

2009-02-06T17:46:00.002-06:00

Free Dance, Four Continents Championships, 6 February 2009
image via Reuters Pictures

Meryl Davis and Charlie White edged out Tessa and Scott in the free dance portion of the Four Continents Championships, winning the gold medal by less than a point. Davis/White finished with a 192.39, while Virtue/Moir scored 191.81 points to take the silver. Americans Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates placed third.

More information as it becomes available!

Funny picture from yesterday's original dance

2009-02-06T14:48:00.004-06:00

Of all the images of yesterday's original dance (which I finally got to see on icenetwork.com -- I'm surprised at how much smoother it is even since Canadians), this one is perhaps the very most interesting:

image via Reuters Pictures

Anyone want to try a hand at a caption for this one? ;)

Also, a note: the free dance competition begins at 4:45 ET!

Virtue/Moir retain their lead after the original dance at 4CCs

2009-02-05T17:57:00.000-06:00

Original Dance, Four Continents Championships, 5 February 2009
image via Getty Images

Tessa and Scott eked out another victory at the Four Continents Championships in Vancouver today, beating out the competition to win the original dance portion of the ice dancing event.

Virtue and Moir scored a 60.90 for their Charleston-themed original dance. Americans Davis and White remain in second place, scoring 60.42 points for their OD.

Overall, Virtue/Moir lead with a total of 97.30 heading into the free dance portion of the event on Friday. They will be skating in the ninth slot overall, in the third and final warm-up group, ahead of Americans Samuelson/Bates and Davis/White.

More reports on today's free dance: The Canadian Press and The Vancouver Sun.

Tessa Virtue comments on state of her recovery from surgery

2009-02-05T17:44:00.000-06:00

Compulsory Dance, Four Continents Championship, 4 February 2009
image via AP Photo/Paul Chiasson

Tessa Virtue commented to The Canadian Press yesterday about the lingering effects of her recent surgery on her shins:

The article states, "Tessa Virtue sat on a chair that had been hastily produced by an organizer as she spoke to reporters yesterday, the only visible sign of any lingering effects of her leg surgery but also a reminder that she's not yet fully healed."

Virtue explained, "I think it's just sort of an up and down thing ... We have to take each day as it comes and deal with it. It's nothing anyone is worried about, I wouldn't be here if it was a major problem."

Read the whole article here.

Video of V/M compulsory dance and practice

2009-02-04T19:30:00.000-06:00

Those YouTube users are really speedy today ... here's an LQ video of Scott and Tessa's compulsory dance at Four Continents. Thanks to teddyjo26 for uploading it!

I've also got a link to a video of Virtue and Moir practicing yesterday at the Coliseum in Vancouver, courtesy YouTube user PneSkate2010. Enjoy!

Virtue/Moir leading at Four Continents after compulsory dance

2009-02-04T16:30:00.000-06:00

Compulsory Dance, Four Continents Championships, 4 February 2009

image via Reuters Pictures

Tessa and Scott won the compulsory dance portion of the ice dancing competition at Four Continents in Vancouver this afternoon, scoring a 36.40 for their Finnstep.

Training partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White are currently in second place, while Canadian teammates Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier are in third.

Next up: the original dance tomorrow, February 5, at 2:00 PM ET, and the free dance on Friday at 4:45 PM ET.

Here are a few more photos of Tessa and Scott's compulsory dance. The first is from Reuters Pictures, the second two from Getty Images. Click to view larger versions:

Virtue/Moir: 4CCs CD 2009 Live Blog

2009-02-04T16:13:00.000-06:00

5:30 ET: That's it for the compulsory dance; Virtue/Moir are in first place with their 36.40, leading Davis/White by 1.17 heading into the original dance, with Crone/Poirier in third. Will post pictures and video as soon as they are available!

5:25 ET: Scores are up -- they've got a 36.40, putting them in first place! One more team to go -- Samuelson and Bates.

5:23 ET: A clean skate for Scott and Tessa -- no falls on the Finnstep here! They're in the kiss and cry with Marina.

5:20 ET: Crone and Poirier scored a 32.43 for their compulsory dancing, putting them in 2nd place. They got major cheers from a group of Canadian schoolchildren in the audience. Scott and Tessa are on the ice now!

5:14 ET: Tessa and Scott just took the ice to warm up for the compulsory dance at the Four Continents Championship. He's wearing a white tie and tails, and she's in a lovely violet-colored floaty dress. They're up right after Crone and Poirier -- I'll keep you posted on the results!

Virtue/Moir compulsory dance at 4CCs today!

2009-02-04T08:28:00.000-06:00

Scott and Tessa will skate the Finnstep today in the compulsory portion of the ice dance competition at the Four Continents Championships! This is the debut of this new compulsory dance in North America, so it will be interesting to see how all of the couples deal with it. While we wait for coverage to start (at 1 PM local time in Vancouver, streaming on the CBC Sports website), here are some links:

First, the starting order for the CD competition: Tessa and Scott have a great draw, in eleventh place over all, right in the middle of the final group. They'll skate after their Canadian teammates, Crone and Poirier, and just before Americans Samuelson and Bates.

Tessa and Scott are big chocolate milk fans, according to The Province. Who knew? I suppose all that calcium does an ice dancer's body good!

Also from The Province, Tessa and Scott are ones to watch today at Four Continents: "If you have to take in just one today, try the ice dance compulsories (1 p.m.). The Canadians defending the title, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, are a feel-good story and should be cheered."

The Sports Scoop blog predicts a silver medal for Tessa and Scott at 4CCs.

And, as an extra treat, two practice photos of Scott and Tessa taken yesterday by flickr user iced_tea. Enjoy!

V/M press previews for Four Continents

2009-02-03T15:24:00.000-06:00

Free Dance, Four Continents Championships, 15 February 2008
image via AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

Tessa and Scott are featured in several press articles this week in the lead up to the Four Continents Championships, which begin tomorrow in Vancouver with the compulsory dance. While we wait to see Virtue and Moir give the brand-new Finnstep a whirl, here are some links to read...

Lifeskate features a preview article that has the following to say about Tessa and Scott and their American training partners: "Finally, in ice dance, it's going to be a real contest between Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and the U.S.'s Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Tessa and Scott came back to competing recently after Tessa had surgery on her leg. They won the Canadian nationals handily but haven't been tested elsewhere so this is a great matchup between them and Meryl and Charlie." Read the whole article from the Lifeskate blog here.

The AFP also released a preview article, which highlighted 4CCs as a chance for skaters to experience the venue for the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. The article also name-checks Scott and Tessa: "Reigning Four Continents Champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada return to the international stage for the first time this season after missing the Grand Prix series as Virtue recovered from injury." Read the whole AFP article here.

And, finally, Laurie Nealin has an interview with Virtue/Moir over at icenetwork.com. Nealin writes, "[Tessa] Virtue said the Canadian championships three weeks ago in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where she and Moir won a second national title, took a toll on her shins. She had to take a few days off to recover and continued rehabilitation as they trained for this competition."

The article continues, "'We needed to get going on the Finnstep. Once you get going, it's really fun. The steps are different, and the timing is interesting, so we're having fun with it. It's one of those dances that feels good to perform once you can skate it well. So, we're excited,' Virtue said." Read Nealin's entire preview of the skating events here.

Virtue/Moir exhibition performance from '08 4CCs

2009-02-02T15:37:00.000-06:00

Wrapping up our look back at Tessa and Scott's winning performaces at last year's Four Continents Championships is their gala exhibition performance to "Dare You to Move." As always, thanks to YouTube user teamvm2 for sharing her videos with all of us who love to watch this couple!

Virtue/Moir free dance at 2008 4CCs

2009-02-01T21:03:00.000-06:00

Our flashback to the '07/'08 Four Continents Championships continues, with this video of Tessa and Scott capping off their winning performance with the free dance, set to "Umbrellas of Cherbourg." Video, as usual, is from the V/M fan's YouTube BFF, teamvm2. Enjoy!

Video of Virtue/Moir OD at 2008 4CCs

2009-01-31T19:42:00.000-06:00

Here's the second part of my flashback to last year's win at the Four Continents Championships for Scott and Tessa: the original dance, set to "Dark Eyes." As almost always, this YouTube video has been uploaded by the wonderful teamvm2. Enjoy!

Virtue/Moir CD at 2008's Four Continents

2009-01-30T20:26:00.000-06:00

As we all gear up to watch Tessa and Scott skate in next week's Four Continents Championships, I thought it would be nice to look back at their winning performances in last year's event. First up: the compulsory! This video is from my favorite Virtue/Moir YouTuber, teamvm2. My favorite part of this compulsory dance has to be the costumes: the way that Tessa's skirt looks like an open umbrella when she spins is just too funny!

Virtue/Moir schedule at next week's 4CCs event

2009-01-29T21:53:00.000-06:00

Original Dance, Four Continents Championships, 14 February 2008
image via AFP/Getty Images

The Four Continents Championships will be held next week in Vancouver, and as it is Tessa and Scott's first appearance on the international stage this season, I'm sure you'll all be wanting to watch! Here are the current scheduled times for the ice dancing events at 4CCs:

Wednesday, February 4: Compulsory Dance, 1:00 PM
Thursday, February 5: Original Dance, 11:00 AM
Friday, February 6: Free Dance, 1:45 PM
Sunday, February 8: Gala Exhibition, 12:00 PM

I'm sure these are all Vancouver local times, so adjust accordingly for your location in the world. Once more information on the specific competition order for each event is available, I'll be sure to update all of you! Here's hoping V/M successfully defend their title!

Virtue/Moir a big hit with event advertisers

2009-01-28T21:01:00.001-06:00

Original Dance, Canadian Championships, 16 January 2009
image via AP Photo/Paul Chiasson

Though some have speculated that perhaps Tessa and Scott's return to the world stage this February may be a bit premature, the advertisement for the next major upcoming ISU skating event heavily leans on images of our favorite ice dancers.

The ISU Four Continents Championship website front page features a large picture of Scott and Tessa from their 06/07 "Valse Triste" free dance. The event will be held in Vancouver next week, so the fact that Virtue/Moir are a Canadian dance team surely makes them an attractive advertising prospect.

CBC Sports's figure skating website also has a photo of Tessa and Scott (this time from their OD at the recent national championships) on their advertising banner for next week's skating coverage.

The pair are scheduled to begin competing at 4CCs next Wednesday.

Virtue/Moir reveal goals and aspirations

2009-01-27T19:18:00.000-06:00

Medal Ceremony, World Championships, 21 March 2008
image via AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

Skate Canada's "Above the Crowd" web feature includes an Athlete's Corner section this month to profile the winning skaters at January's Canadian Championships. Scott and Tessa are featured, of course, as ice dancing champions.

The pair agree that their greatest achievement so far is winning the silver medal at the 2008 World Championships (Tessa adds that attending the National Ballet School of Canada is also a prized achievement). And while both have earning a medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as a major goal, they also reveal some additional aspirations.

Tessa, currently enrolled as a part-time psychology major at the University of Windsor, hopes to earn a law degree someday and "eventually travel the world." Scott keeps his major life goals closer to the vest, but he does cop to enjoying golf, hockey, and firing up the barbeque.

The site features a new photo of the pair, along with profiles of Patrick Chan, Joannie Rochette, and Dube and Davison.

Virtue/Moir are future Olympians to watch

2009-01-26T14:48:00.001-06:00

Canadian Championships Original Dance, 16 January 2009
image via Reuters Pictures

Lee Ann Gschwind of NBCOlympics.com has included Tessa and Scott in an article about figure skaters to watch for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

She writes, "Canada had a banner 2008 Worlds, winning three medals - more than any other country. And despite the retirement of reigning men's world champion Jeff Buttle, the host nation, long known for Olympic near-misses, has medal prospects in every event. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are the surest bet and could become the first ice dancers from their country to win Olympic gold."

Read the entire article here.

Virtue/Moir at the Rogers Sports Celebrity Dinner and Auction

2009-01-25T14:01:00.000-06:00

Tessa and Scott attend the Rogers Sports Celebrity Dinner, 19 January 2009
image via London Free Press/Sue Reeve and Derek Ruttan/Sun Media

Fresh off their victory at nationals, Tessa and Scott attended the annual Rogers Sports Celebrity Dinner and Auction on Monday, January 19, in London, Ontario. The London Free Press has coverage of the event, including a photo gallery.

The dinner and auction, first held in 1956, raises money for the Thames Valley Children's Centre. The TVCC website explains, "Auction items include trips, choice tickets to sporting events and autographed memorabilia."

Other Canadian sports celebrities joining Tessa and Scott at the event included hockey players Eric Lindros and Serge Savard, baseball stars Fergie Jenkins, Chris Robinson, and Adam Stern, and Olympic gold medalist Adam Kreek.

Another V/M exhibition video, with encore included

2009-01-25T01:19:00.000-06:00

Here's another look at Tessa and Scott's exhibition performance at Canadian nationals, this time with the encore performance as well. It's from the best YouTube source for Virtue/Moir videos, teamvm2. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Video of Virtue/Moir at Canadian nationals gala

2009-01-19T14:02:00.000-06:00

Here's a first look at the gala exhibition performance by Scott and Tessa at this year's Canadian championships from rlaal at YouTube. Such a sweet, romantic performance to "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp. Enjoy!

Pictures from V/M's gala performance at Canadians

2009-01-19T11:41:00.000-06:00

Canadian Championships Gala Performance, 18 January 2009

image via Reuters Pictures

The newswires have released a series of pictures of Tessa and Scott's gala performance routine at the Canadian national championships last night. The program was to John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane." No video up yet, but I'll post it as soon as I find it!

While looking at the pictures, you can also read icenetwork.com's report on Virtue and Moir's performance overall at Canadians. My favorite part? Scott reveals that his "Floydian slip" pun was especially designed for Tessa, who is a psych major. :)

Here are a few more pictures, all from Reuters Pictures, of the program. Click on the photos to see larger versions:

Three more V/M videos from nationals

2009-01-18T16:59:00.000-06:00

YouTuber teamvm2, who is an absolute godsend for those of us who don't live in Canada and often rely on YouTube to watch Virtue and Moir, has uploaded three more videos of this weekend's national championships. Thanks so much for doing this for us, teamvm2!

First, a video of the compulsory dance:

Next, a pre-original dance interview with Scott and Tessa:

And, finally, video footage of Scott and Tessa critiquing their original dance:

Video of Virtue and Moir's free dance at nationals

2009-01-18T11:15:00.000-06:00

The free dance from last night is up on YouTube! I had a great time finally getting to watch this (my streaming source cut out right before the final skating group last night, of course), and I think the costumes read a lot better in motion than they do in still photographs. They obviously still need some work here, but it's a fun performance. My favorite thing of all? They really are each other's biggest fans. Enjoy!

Two articles on V/M's win Saturday

2009-01-18T02:01:00.000-06:00

Canadian Championships Free Dance, 17 January 2009
image via Reuters Pictures

Beverley Smith of the Globe and Mail has a great interview with Tessa and Scott about their victory on Saturday night. An excerpt:

Virtue and Moir astonished the crowd with an array of lifts that were complex and always in motion. They made a few slipups, with Moir slipping at one point, a miscue that probably cost them a deduction.

Moir calls it his "Floydian slip.''

"I think it's a little bit funny that I fell in the only part where I wasn't touching Tessa,'' Moir said. "I could have practiced that all three months while she was out.''

Virtue underwent surgery on Oct. 6 for an overuse injury. Three months ago, she could not walk.

"I was pretty proud of her at what she's accomplished in the three months,'' Moir said. "It definitely wasn't an easy road for her, and hopefully we can keep on the road to recovery and get back to 100 per cent, and get these programs to where we want them to be.''

Read the rest of the article here.

Kathryn Willms also wrote on the duo's win at Canadians for the National Post Mobile:

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir pulled off the inevitable Saturday night. They defended their title at the BMO Canadian figure skating championships with a skate that, while not perfect, showcased the often under-appreciated extreme nature of ice dance.

"It was one of the more difficult run-throughs, but we're extremely pleased with the way we skated," said Moir, who fell after losing an edge. "I'm excited to be national champions again. I'm not even tired. I could go out there and do it again."

"Speak for yourself," chimed in Virtue, who recently had surgery in both her legs. "A couple months ago I couldn't walk, so that says a lot. I think this week will help us in the end and we're going to be so much stronger because of it."

Read the rest of Willms's piece here.

Virtue/Moir win Canadian Championships gold

2009-01-17T22:04:00.000-06:00

Canadian Championships Free Dance, 17 January 2009

image via Reuters Pictures

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have captured gold at the Canadian national championships. Way to go, Scott and Tessa!

The pair finished with a total score of 197.77, more than twenty points ahead of second-place couple Crone and Poirier.

I haven't seen video of the free dance online yet, but I'll post a link as soon as one is available. Preliminary reactions from seeing the newswire photos: not a fan of the costumes. Too Euro ice dancer for me. But I'm excited to see the components of the program!

Here are several more pictures, all from Reuters Pictures, of the free dance. Click to view larger versions:

Virtue/Moir free dance at nationals tonight

2009-01-17T14:11:00.001-06:00

Original Dance, Canadian Championships, 16 January 2009

image via Reuters Pictures

Canadians, get your streaming video ready -- Tessa and Scott are scheduled to skate their new Pink Floyd free dance this evening at the national championships, and the competition is streaming live on the CBC Sports site at 7:50 PM ET.

For those of us not in Canada, we'll just have to wait and hope the new free dance clips go up online as quickly as the original dance clips did!

To tide all of you over while you wait for Virtue and Moir to take the ice, there are a few new articles and pictures from yesterday's OD up on the 'net. This article from the Globe and Mail calls Scott and Tessa's return to the ice "a flashy statement," while this interview from the Leader-Post notes, "With a sophisticated Gatsbyesqe routine, the defending Canadian champions shimmied, skulked and twizelled their way to a decisive 12-point lead in the senior dance competition Friday."

And here are three more pictures from Friday's skate. The first is from Reuters Pictures, and the second and third are from Skate Canada. Click on the photos to see larger versions -- Scott's facial expressions are great!

YouTube video of V/M Canadians OD

2009-01-17T10:37:00.000-06:00

Tracked down a clearer video clip of Tessa and Scott's original dance ... don't you just love the way they both play up the theme here? I especially like Scott singing along with the lyrics in the last third of the program. Enjoy!

Virtue/Moir leading after original dance at nationals

2009-01-16T13:34:00.000-06:00

Original Dance, Canadian Championships, 16 January 2009

image via Reuters Pictures

Scott and Tessa easily won the original dance portion of the national championships on Friday, earning a 63.76 from the judges for their Charleston-themed dance. The score brings their total so far to 103.09. Second place couple Crone and Poirier have a combined score of 91.18.

(Unfortunately, the streaming coverage from the event won't work for those of us who don't live in Canada. Hopefully YouTube will come through for us soon!) And the video uploaders did -- it's not at YouTube yet, but here's a link to an LQ version. They look great!

Here's an article on the original dances from CBC Sports, including a picture of one of the impressive-looking lifts from the program. And here are a few more pictures from the event. Click to see larger versions; all images are from Reuters Pictures.

More Virtue/Moir news from Nationals

2009-01-15T22:21:00.000-06:00

Tessa and Scott practice in Saskatoon, 15 January 2009
image via THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Tessa and Scott are making news all over the place this week!

The above photo is of Scott and Tessa practicing on Thursday. This dress looks particularly flapper-y ... it will be interesting to see which '20s themed costume we see for the Charleston OD on Friday! (I do love the rolled-up sleeves on Scott.)

The Canadian Press has a good article on the pair that includes a look back at their history skating together (pretty much a life retrospective for these two) and some great quotes from both Scott and Tessa. Tessa notes that she okayed Scott using a mannequin for a partner while she was recovering -- but "only if [she] could dress it." A sandbag took her place instead.

Meanwhile, Scott reveals how he knew Tessa would be the partner for him, even at a young age: "I had one partner before ... But I screwed up the steps, and then she didn't want to skate with me again. I was eight. Then I found Tessa, and I screwed up the steps in the first competition and she stayed with me and that's when I knew I'd found one."

Scott and Tessa also earned a mention on Rob Brodie's blog reporting from this week's competition. One interesting tidbit of insider information: Brodie reveals that "Tracy Wilson, Kurt Browning and Scott Russell made a quick trip in through the evening's bitter cold just to see these rather special prodigies do their thing." Impressive when you consider that the compulsories weren't even televised! The blog overall is really great -- be sure to check out all of Rob's reports from Saskatoon. Very much worth reading.

Three V/M practice pictures from Saskatoon

2009-01-15T12:34:00.000-06:00

The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix photo gallery has three pictures of Scott and Tessa from Tuesday's open practice session at the Canadian Championships. They're wearing their costumes for the original dance -- they're doing the Charleston. Click on the images to view them full-size! (The second is even more impressive up close!)

Two more compulsory dance photos and an article

2009-01-15T02:00:00.000-06:00

Compulsory Dance, Canadian Championships, 14 January 2009

image via Reuters Pictures

Compulsory Dance, Canadian Championships, 14 January 2009
image via Reuters Pictures

Beverley Smith also has a wrap-up article of the compulsory dances from the Globe and Mail. Love this quotation from Scott: "Sometimes you forget how much you appreciate your skating partner, or how much fun it is to ice dance with somebody. We're definitely rejuvenated and really excited."

Virtue and Moir lead after compulsory dance

2009-01-14T22:44:00.001-06:00

Compulsory Dance, Canadian Championships, 14 January 2009

image via Reuters Pictures

A quick glance at the Skate Canada website for the national championships reveals that Tessa and Scott are currently on top of the standings for the ice dancing competition! Great to hear. The photo above is of tonight's competition.

They scored a 39.33 with their Viennese Waltz. Second place couple Crone and Poirier scored a 35.62, and third place pair Karam and O'Keefe earned a 31.97.

The Canadian Press also has an article online with the scores here, along with some new information about the original and free dances: "Virtue and Moir skate their short program – the Charleston – on Friday. They'll unveil an innovative new long program to music from Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" on Saturday."

Guess that Gatsby costume is for the Charleston. Can't wait for Friday! Scott and Tessa will take the ice for the original dance on Friday morning, according to the SC site. CBC will (fingers crossed) stream and broadcast the event live at 10:00-12:30 ET.

New photos from Tuesday's practice at Canadians

2009-01-14T11:23:00.000-06:00

Jayta, a member at the FS Universe forums, has posted a series of photos of skaters at the open Tuesday practice at the Canadian Championships. I won't reproduce any of the photos here, but here's a link to her photobucket account with the great new pictures, including a couple of Tessa and Scott!

Scott's hair looks a bit different, don't you think? And it looks like Tessa's back to an auburn shade -- looks great! And this Gatsby-esque costume on Scott is fabulous!

Compulsory dances begin today at Canadians

2009-01-14T10:39:00.000-06:00

Compulsory dance, Four Continents Championships. 13 Feb 2008
image via Reuters Pictures

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue are back on the competitive ice for the first time this season today, with the compulsory dance round of the Canadian Championships. Sadly, no televised schedule seems to be included, but we can hope for clips later on, perhaps.

Laura at Required Elements, a great figure skating blog, has an entry today about V/M's return to the ice. She writes, "...one of the biggest things to watch out for there is the return of World Silver Medal Winning Ice Dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who have been sidelined by Virtue’s recovery from surgery so far this season. I can’t wait to see how they do and it looks like they are getting healthy at the right time, unlike so many other teams."

Good luck, Tessa and Scott! We'll all be rooting for you!

New CBC blog about nationals

2009-01-13T13:13:00.000-06:00

World Championships Compulsory Dance, 18 March 2008
image via Reuters Pictures

Tessa and Scott got a mention in Pj Kwong's CBC figure skating blog today in a preview of this week's national championships:

"One of the things I am most looking forward to is seeing defending ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir back on the ice. They were sidelined for the first half of the season while Virtue recovered from surgery. As current world silver medallists it is going to be a treat to try and figure where they might rank on the current international landscape."

Read the rest of Kwong's blog entry here.

New article on V/M, nationals, and twizzling

2009-01-13T12:05:00.000-06:00

Scott and Tessa twizzle during their OD at Worlds, 20 March 2008
image via AFP/Getty Images

The Vancouver Sun has a new article today about this week's Canadian Championships, focusing on the new system and one of the moves that has become standard across disciplines: the twizzle.

Laurie Nealin notes that Tessa and Scott are among the elite skaters who have mastered the move and who will show it off at this week's competition. She writes, "Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have also mastered the points game, offering up cleverly-crafted programs that should impress fans and judges alike this week, and put them back atop the podium in Saskatoon."

There's more about the new system, other Canadian skaters, and Nationals at the source.

Virtue/Moir 2007-08 season video recap

2009-01-12T19:35:00.000-06:00

T-minus two days until Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue make their competitive debut this season at the Canadian Championships! The pair will begin with the compulsory dance (apparently neither televised nor streamed) on Wednesday.

To remind us all of the greatness that was last year's season for V/M, here's a video montage of their 2007-08 performances made by YouTube user teamvm2. Enjoy!

Skate Canada article on figure skating nationals

2009-01-11T23:08:00.000-06:00

World Championships Medal Podium, 21 March 2008
image via AFP/Getty Images

The Skate Canada website features a news release about this week's Canadian Nationals, including mention of some prominent athletes, including Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who will be skating in the event.

The release notes, "Three of the four reigning Canadian Champions are set to defend their titles. In singles competition, Patrick Chan, 18, Toronto, Ont., will look to secure his second consecutive senior men’s title. In senior women’s, Joannie Rochette, 22, Île-Dupas, Que., will aim for a fifth straight Canadian title. In pair the 2008 Canadian Champions Anabelle Langlois, 27, Gatineau, Que., and Cody Hay, 25, Grande Prairie, Alta., have withdrawn due to injury. Reigning World pair bronze medalists Jessica Dubé and Bryce Davison will look to regain the title they held in 2007. Ice dancers, Tessa Virtue, 19, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 21, Ilderton, Ont., have their hearts set on gold for the second year in a row."

The press release also notes that there will be a news conference to open the event : "An opening press conference will be held at the Credit Union Centre on Thursday, January 15, 2009 in the media centre at 11:00 a.m. Skate Canada CEO William Thompson, Kieron Kilduff, Vice President, Branch Manager & Investment Advisor, BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc will be available, along with Skate Canada athletes." Perhaps we'll see footage of Tessa and Scott there?

Virtue/Moir friendship montage

2009-01-10T23:00:00.000-06:00

While we all wait for the Canadian Nationals next weekend, here's another great montage celebrating Scott and Tessa's ice partnership. It was made by YouTube user bmeburke and is set to one of my all-time favorite songs, Queen's "You're My Best Friend." Enjoy!

Virtue/Moir performances at nationals streaming online

2009-01-09T21:44:00.001-06:00

Ice Dancing medalists at the '08 Canadian Championships, 20 Jan 2008
image via Reuters Pictures

I doubt I'm the only non-Canadian fan of Tessa and Scott's skating, so I thought I'd post the online CBC Sports streaming video times for next week's Canadian Nationals. I haven't tried the CBC website before to watch skating programming, so I'm hoping it works for me in the US. Anyone else tried it before?

The schedule for online streaming of the ice dancing events is as follows:
Fri 01/16: Original Dance, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET
Sat 01/17: Free Dance, 8:00-11:00 PM ET
Sun 01/18: Gala, 9:30-11:30 PM ET

Here's the complete schedule of CBC skating programming, for reference; they already have the Four Continents and the Worlds dates up.

Scott and Tessa interviewed by icenetwork.com

2009-01-08T20:28:00.000-06:00

World Championships Exhibition Performance, 23 March 2008

image via AP Photo/Francois Mori

Laurie Nealin at icenetwork.com has a new interview with Scott and Tessa about their late start in the '08-'09 skating season (I got there via a link from vicky at her figure skating blog). It's a definite must read; here's an excerpt:

Blessings-in-disguise. A pierced navel. Pink Floyd. And sand bags.

Those were just four of the topics in an eclectic mix of subjects that Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir chatted about Thursday as they contemplated their comeback at the 2009 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships next week in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Canada's world ice dancing silver medalists were forced to pull out of Grand Prix Series this past fall after Virtue underwent surgery in early October to repair painful injuries in both shins. The condition, called chronic exertional compartment syndrome, had been hampering her training for almost a year. When the pain intensified over the summer, Virtue knew she had no choice but to seek relief. The surgery involved cutting the overly tight sheath around the muscles to allow them to expand normally when she skates.

Full article here at icenetwork.com.

Cute Virtue/Moir video montage

2009-01-08T18:07:00.000-06:00

Here's one of my favorite video montages, created by YouTube gnoud88 and posted by YT user teamvm2, who posts all sorts of great clips and montages featuring Tessa and Scott. This one's set to Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am," and is a great celebration of their close friendship. Enjoy!

New interview with Tessa in the Globe and Mail

2009-01-07T20:21:00.000-06:00

World Championships Original Dance, 20 March 2008
image via AFP/Getty Images

There's a great new interview with Tessa Virtue in Beverley Smith's figure skating blog for the Globe and Mail. She talks about her surgery and recovery, what it was like missing this year's Grand Prix, and the new Pink Floyd free dance. Here's an excerpt:

Canadian ice dancer Tessa Virtue is happy to be back training on the ice after missing the Grand Prix season because of an unusual injury that required surgery on both legs.

The 19-year-old skater from London, Ont., missed the Grand Prix Final in Goyang City, South Korea, last month. She and her partner Scott Moir of Ilderton, Ont., could very well have won it. As world silver medalists, their routines may be the most riveting of any dance team in the world right now. It's just that nobody has seen them yet.

She's been back on the ice for only about five or six weeks, and with the Canadian figure-skating championships next week, Virtue realizes she has a lot of work to do. Will they be ready?

Read the rest at the Globe and Mail website.

Scott and Tessa in Canadian Olympic commercials

2009-01-06T15:21:00.000-06:00

CTV reports that Virtue and Moir are among the Olympic athletes who will be featured in an upcoming television campaign designed to introduce Canadians to the athletes who will likely be competing in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.

"We want you fall in love with them way before February 2010," says Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium president Keith Pelley.

The campaign, titled "BELIEVE," will also produce short ads called IDs to help increase name recognition for athletes.

CTV explains, "Speed skaters Jeremy Wotherspoon and Denny Morrison, figure skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, alpine skiers Eric Guay and Britt Janyk, freestyle skier Jenn Heil, skeleton racer Jon Montgomery and snowboarder Maelle Ricker are among the athletes to be included in the BELIEVE IDs."

Upcoming V/M competition dates

2009-01-05T19:07:00.000-06:00

Scott and Tessa have missed the first few competitions of the season because of Tessa's injury and subsequent surgery, but they're due back out on the ice together soon. Here are the competition dates I've been able to gather up; if I'm missing any, please leave a comment!

January 14-19: Canadian Figure Skating Championships (V/M listed on athlete roster as of 12/09/08)
February 2-8: ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (in Vancouver, and V/M are all over the website!)
March 23-29: ISU World Figure Skating Championships (in Los Angeles)

Video of Virtue and Moir's new free dance

2009-01-04T21:43:00.000-06:00

Thought this would be an excellent way to start off the new blog: two YouTube clips of a rough version of Virtue and Moir's new free dance to Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky" and "Money." The video was taken by YouTube user Mapleleaf47 at Arctic Edge on December 30, 2008.

Part One:

Part Two: