Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are Canada's next big thing in ice dancing. (Canadian Press)
Feature
The up-and-comers
Canadian ice dance thriving even without Dubreuil and Lauzon
Last Updated Tues., Oct. 30, 2007
Randi Druzin, CBC Sports
Ice dancers Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon headed in to last season's world championships in Tokyo as serious gold-medal contenders. The couple won the silver medal the year before, and had clinched five national titles.
But they left Japan disappointed. For the second straight year, Bulgarians Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski won the title, leaving the Canadians to settle for silver.
The Canadians haven't returned to competition, and are sitting out this season with an eye to coming back for the 2010 Winter Olympics. But Canadian ice dancing is not just doing fine without them, it's thriving.
"We are stronger now than before," said Mike Slipchuk, the high performance director at Skate Canada. "We started the season with two teams ranked among the top ten in the world."
'Young phenoms' Virtue and Moir
While Dubreuil and Lauzon finished last season at the top of the international standings, another Canadian duo placed sixth overall.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir had a stellar season, finishing second at the nationals and sixth at the world championships.
In their first appearance at the annual event, the teenagers skated with style and unison that belied their inexperience. The figure skating world took notice.
"They caused a tidal wave of excitement with their debut," one newspaper in London, Ont., reported. "Such a lofty position the first time out is almost unheard of, especially for a couple so young and inexperienced."
World silver medalists Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon are taking the 2007-08 season off (Canadian Press)
As the writer was quick to point out, Dubreuil and Lauzon finished 10th in their first world championships, in the 1999-2000 season.
"Competing with top-ranked teams from around the world was an unforgettable experience," recalled Virtue. "We had a lot to prove. In the end, we were thrilled with our performances."
"They are young phenoms. That is not just a Canadian perception," CBC figure skating analyst Tracy Wilson said. "Around the world, people involved with international figure skating are predicting this pair will be world and Olympic champions."
"They're really exciting to watch," added Slipchuk. "Finishing sixth in Tokyo was a tremendous place to start. Now they have to continue with their development."
He said he expects the pair to do well at 2007 HomeSense Skate Canada International in Quebec City on Nov. 1-4, where they will be the top-ranked ice dancing team.
"Scott and I are always challenging ourselves and pushing our limits," said Virtue. "Skate Canada will be no different. Many great teams are entered, including Americans Melissa Gregory and Dennis Petukhov [who finished last season ranked ninth in the world]. But it's important for us to stay focused on our job and trust our training.
"We are really looking forward to competing in Quebec City in front of a Canadian crowd."
Other strong duos
Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier won't be competing in Quebec, but there is little doubt they will be strong contenders at future senior events.
The skaters, who have been competing together for seven years, won the junior national title last season. Already this season, they have won two Junior Grand Prix events and secured a spot at the Junior Grand Prix Final in December.
The duo has turned heads because they skate with great precision. They also skate close together, as a unit, which is uncommon in the junior ranks.
"Canada has always been strong in ice dancing. But it's a matter of peaks and valleys," explained Slipchuk. "It's okay when one team passes the peak if there are others coming up."
He likened current ice dancing to men's skating during the 1980s and 1990s. "Look at how strong Canada was in men's singles. We had Brian Orser, then Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko. We're now developing that kind of depth in ice dancing."
Crone and Poirier are in good company. Joanna Lenko and Mitchell Islam are moving up the junior ranks, and the team of Karen Routhier and Eric Saucke-Lacelle is close behind.
All the teams are expected to improve by leaps and bounds by the time the next Winter Olympics roll around.
Without a doubt, the 2010 Games in Vancouver are on the minds of Virtue and Moir.
"To compete in our first Olympics in our home country is something we think about every single day," said Virtue. "We are working our hardest each day so that, hopefully, we will be at the top of the world medal podium one day.
"Our success at last year's world championships gave us a taste of what is out there, and now we're hungry for more."
More on Figure Skating
- The up-and-comers: Canadian ice dance thriving even without Dubreuil and Lauzon
- The Quad Quest: Jeffrey Buttle hopes jump will vault him into medal contention
- Looking forward: Rochette unfazed by last season's disappointment
- Pj Kwong's figure skating blog
- Kurt Browning: Inside edge
- Photo gallery: Team Canada
- A New Era: Current judging system takes controversy out of figure skating
- Figure skating on CBC
