After returning home from a triumphant career high at the Winter Games in South Korea, Canadian figure skating darlings Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are still adjusting to life post-Olympics.
Their final passionate free skate to music from the “Moulin Rouge” earned them a second gold at Pyeongchang and secured their place in Olympic figure skating history as the most decorated athletes to ever grace the sport.
It was to be their final swan song, capping off a remarkable career that spanned 21 years and included three world titles and five Olympic medals.
So, now what?
Virtue told CTV’s Your Morning that as much as they’ve enjoyed being at home with their family and friends, the change of pace has been something of an adjustment.
“I mean we were on top of the world. There was such exhilaration and pressure and stress,” she explained. “We’re thrilled to be back on Canadian soil, but then there’s just this odd calm. There’s this quiet and I just found myself sitting at home thinking, ‘It’s all done.’”
Moir agreed that it’s been “pretty quiet” since they’ve returned home and they’ve had some time to relax. In fact, Virtue admitted that she hasn’t even skated since the Olympics and Moir said he has only been on the ice once since South Korea.
“I never thought I would get to this point because for so long we’re looking forward, looking forward and planning. It was just so strange to have it all in the rearview mirror,” Virtue said.
‘It’s hard to explain our relationship’
Despite the quiet at home, persistent rumours about a secret romance between the skaters have failed to be silenced.
When asked about their response to the questions about their relationship off the ice, Moir said they take them as a compliment.
“We tell that story on the ice and we’re actors in a way so it just means that we’re able to do our job well,” he told CTV News Channel. “There’s a lot more to our partnership than just talking about romance.”
“I think that what people are connecting with and maybe invested in is this genuine care and respect that we have for one another and romantic or not, we feel that. We’ve really nurtured our partnership,” Virtue added.
Moir said that when he looks at Virtue he sees a special partnership that has lasted for more than two decades.
“Tessa and I have grown up together,” he said. “It’s hard to explain our relationship because we’ve gone through so much together. It’s so intense. It is so special. You can’t really compare it and it’s hard for people to understand it. But honestly, when we look at each other I think we’re just thankful.”
‘It’s time to cash in our chips’
As for what’s next for the beloved athletes, Virtue and Moir said they will travel to their training base in Montreal next week to prepare for the “Stars on Ice” televised figure skating tour that kicks off in Japan at the end of the month. After a few weeks there, the tour will head back to Canada for a cross-country tour.
Even though they haven’t hung up their skates completely, Moir said they don’t plan on competing at another Winter Games.
“It probably feels like it’s time for T and I to move on to other things, but it’s going to be tough. I think we’ll always want to be at the Olympic Games. We know that there are young kids coming up that are just going to kick our butts so we kind of have to move on.”
“Maybe it’s time to cash in our chips,” he said.
