Virtue and Moir talk possible Calgary Olympics, not watching Pyeongchang skates and the future

It’s been two months since Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir took Canada and much of the sporting world by storm at the 2018 Winter Games.

But for the nation’s darlings of ice dancing, reality hasn’t set in.

“No, not yet,” Moir said at a Classroom for Champions fundraiser in Calgary and roundtable discussion. “I think we’re just coming around to the fact that we did win in 2010.”

On top of the two golds they won in Pyeongchang and the international attention their chemistry received, the pair has been on a media whirlwind including an appearance on the Ellen Show, while also training for their Stars On Ice performances.

While they appreciate the response they’ve gotten from fans across the country, they admit they haven’t watched their recent performances start to finish.

“I know we would be too critical of the skate because we’re used to watching with that technical eye and thinking about how we can improve,” Virtue said. “And also, I don’t want to lose that feeling that I had when the music ended and that feeling that we had looking at each other.”

“As long as we can hold on to that, I think I’ll try and avoid watching the clips.”

While they’re leaning towards ending their amateur careers, Moir said they still haven’t made a definite decision past next year.

But as the biggest names on the upcoming Stars On Ice tour, they admit there’s still pressure to perform.

“The tour is selling better than it has ever before and in some of these venues, we’re going to have 10,000 new fans coming in to watch figure skating,” Moir said. “We don’t want to disappoint people.”

Although their Olympic days may be behind them, they expect to be on tour for the next few years, with Moir bringing up the possibiliy of coaching further down the road.

Virtue said they’re very much aware of the role they have in growing the sport.

“We’ll always feel a responsibility to do justice to our sport and ensure that we’re maximizing our opportunities to spread the word,” she said.

Beyond their own daily schedules, they also touched on some ongoing civic issues, including the possibility of a Calgary bid for the 2026 Games.

“We don’t know the ins and outs of the budget and how much money it cost, but we can say that being part of the Vancouver Olympics, that being our first Games, seeing how it sparks excitement and get kids interested in sport, as overall what we thought was a very positive effect on the whole country,” Moir said.

“We don’t know as much about the politics, but I can say that we thought Vancouver did a great job with their venues, reusing their venues, the Richmond Oval I think is a great example of that and we would love to see another Games.”

While it’s been two months since the Games, it’s only been two weeks since the Humboldt bus crash, which they also addressed.

“There are no words to even try to comprehend what those families have been through and I think as Canadians, the country’s really rallied their support and it’s heartwarming to see,” Virtue said.

“It’s the makeup of our country is we are on buses a lot to go to sporting events,” Moir said. “It’s a tough one to wrap your head around, there’s just no making sense of it, especially when they’re young people.”

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