Virtue, Moir share gold with a nation

Ontario ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir want to share their historic gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics with the rest of their country.

"It's special to share it [the gold medal] with Canada ... this has been such a journey for us and so many people have supported us along the way," Virtue told a news conference Tuesday, a day after becoming the first Canadians to win the event at the Winter Games.

Moir, who was all smiles, joked about the hardware they collected the previous evening.

"I think I'm just going to wear this for the next couple weeks," Moir said to media and fans.

Virtue, of London, Ont., and Moir, from nearby Ilderton, have been competing together for 13 years and became the youngest ice-dance team to win Olympic gold — and the first North Americans to do so in an event typically dominated by Europeans.

Moir spoke of all the people, including family and friends, who helped them reach the top of the Olympic podium.

"This is their medal, this is for them. We can't wait to come home and share it with you," he said.

Moir also applauded the Canadian Olympic Committee, specifically the Own the Podium program.

The national initiative, which has invested about $120 million over the past five years into helping Canadian athletes be competitive at the home Olympics, has come under fire these Games, with the COC conceding the host team will be short of its goal of finishing first overall in the medal count.  

"I can honestly say that I would not have this in my hand [gold medal] without the Own the Podium program," Moir added.

"I just think that the Canadian team is so strong and we're so much better than we have ever been ... especially the way our country has come together."

Friendly foes

The pair spoke of their tight relationship with the American duo of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, their training partners who won the silver medal.

The Canadians earned a score of 110.42 points in the free dance Monday night, boosting their total to 221.57,

Davis and White had 107.19 in the free dance, and a total of 215.74. Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia claimed the bronze, with 101.04 in the free dance and an overall score of 207.64.

"We wouldn't be sitting here today with the gold medals around our neck without Meryl and Charlie," said Virtue. "They're such an incredible team, they work so hard, not to mention they're just fabulous people.

"It was really special to share the podium with them."

Moir expanded on the importance of the Canadian-American relationship.

"The reason why we are such good friends is that we respect them so much ... when they get on the ice, it's business."