Submitted by the Canadian Olympic Committee Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir Scott Moir and partner Tessa Virtue produced one of the most memorable moments of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games when they captured gold in front of the supportive home crowd, becoming the first North American ice dancers to be crowned Olympic champions.
Virtue and Moir went to Vancouver 2010 as gold medal contenders, but what no one knew was that Virtue was fighting through leg pain that made even a short walk a struggle. The duo began their Olympic competition with a second place finish in the compulsory dance, but brought the house down with their Flamenco-inspired original dance. At the ages of 20 and 22, they became the youngest ice dance team to ever win Olympic gold with their stirring free skate to Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. One month later, they won their first world title. In the fall of 2010, Virtue underwent a second surgery to relieve pressure on her calves. In their only full competition of the season, they won silver at the 2011 World Championships behind American training mates Meryl Davis and Charlie White. As they had since finishing 1-2 at Vancouver 2010, those two couples spent the next two seasons battling for the top of the podium. Virtue and Moir have earned high praise from many in the figure skating community, including other skaters, coaches and commentators. They are recognized for their difficult and innovative lifts, exquisite lines and tidy footwork, as well as their incredible chemistry as they push themselves and their sport forward both technically and artistically.
Tessa Virtue Bio Age: 24 Born: London, Ontario Hometown: London, Ontario Olympic history: Vancouver 2010 Education: Majoring in psychology at the University of Windsor Outside interests: Fashion, costume design, golfing
Scott Moir Bio Age: 26 Born: London, Ontario Hometown: Ilderton, Ontario Olympic history: Vancouver 2010 Outside interests: Avid hockey fan, especially of the Toronto Maple Leafs In the community: Supports the Thames Valley Children’s Centre Christine Nesbitt As the reigning 1000m world champion heading into the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Christine Nesbitt was a favourite for gold and yet was able to fly under the radar thanks to the attention given to her more experienced and accomplished teammates. However, when the Games came to a close, it was Nesbitt who had earned Canada’s only individual gold medal at the Richmond Olympic Oval. After her triumph in Vancouver, Nesbitt became the queen of the middle distances. In 2010-11, she won the overall World Cup title at 1500m and finished second in the 1000m standings. She also won gold at the World Sprint Championships and silver at the World Allround Championships.
In 2011-12, Nesbitt won the overall World Cup titles and the World Single Distances titles for both 1000m and 1500m, and was also on the podium at both the World Sprint and World Allround Championships, winning silver and bronze respectively. But perhaps her crowning achievement was becoming just the fourth Canadian speed skater to ever win the Oscar Mathisen Award, presented to the man or woman deemed to be the year’s top performer. Kristine Nesbitt Bio Age: 28 Born: Melbourne, Australia Hometown: London, Ontario Olympic history: Vancouver 2010, Turin 2006 Education: Pursuing Bachelor of Science in Geography at the University of Calgary Favourite music: R&B, rock and jazz
