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Tessa Virtue

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Tessa Virtue
Virtue and Moir in 2006.
Height160 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Figure skating career
Country Canada
PartnerScott Moir
CoachIgor Shpilband, Marina Zueva
Skating clubIlderton Skating Club
Virtue & Moir at the 2005 Junior Worlds.

Tessa Virtue (born May 17, 1989 in London, Ontario) is a Canadian ice dancer. She currently competes with Scott Moir. They are the 2008 & 2009 Canadian national champions, the 2008 Four Continents Champions, and 2006 World Junior Champions.

Personal life

Tessa Virtue was born in London, Ontario, Canada. She is the youngest of four children. She currently lives and trains in Canton, Michigan, USA, although her official residence remains London.

Career

Virtue and Moir began skating together in 1997.

In the 2001-2002 season, they won the bronze medal at Junior Canadians at the novice level. In 2003, they placed 7th at Canadians in the junior division.

In 2003-2004, they made their Junior Grand Prix debut. They didn't place at either of their events. At Nationals, they won the Junior title, qualifying them for the team to the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where they placed 11th.

The following season, they moved up to senior nationally but remained juniors internationally. They won one of their Junior Grand Prix assignments, placed second at another, and won the silver medal at the Junior Grand Prix Final. At Canadians, they placed fourth in their senior debut. They went to Junior Worlds again, where they placed 2nd.

Because the 2005-2006 season was the Olympic season and they had a chance of making the Olympic team, many thought they should go senior. However, they remained Junior internationally for one final season. They won both their Junior Grand Prix events and then won the Junior Grand Prix Final. They won the bronze medal at Canadian Nationals, missing an Olympic berth by one spot. They were named as first alternates to the Olympic team. However, having only a junior record, they may not have been sent to the Olympics anyway. Following Nationals, they went to the Four Continents Championships, where they won the bronze medal -- their first senior international medal -- and qualified themselves as alternates. They went on to Junior Worlds for one last time and won it. They are the first Canadian ice dancers to win the World Junior title.

In 2006-2007, they moved up to the senior division. They won the silver medal at Skate Canada and placed 4th at the Trophée Eric Bompard in France. At Nationals, they won the silver medal, and repeated their bronze medal finish at Four Continents. In their debut at the World Figure Skating Championships, they placed 6th, the debut highest placement of a Canadian team in decades. At the 2008 World Figure Skating Championship in Sweden, Virtue and Moir won the silver medal, winning the free dance program with their spectacular skating to the Umbrellas of Cherbourg soundtrack.

Although they hoped to have a strong 08-09 season, Virtue underwent surgery on her legs after discovering that she had a rare condition that prevented her muscles from expanding and contracting properly. They planned to appear at NHK Trophy, but she still had not recovered in time. They returned to competition at the 2009 Canadian National Championships and won the gold medal. Still recovering, they competed at 4 Continents, winning the silver medal behind training partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Programs

Season Original Dance Free Dance Exhibition
2008-2009 Won't You Charleston with Me?
Dark Side of the Moon
by Pink Floyd
Jack and Diane
by John Mellencamp
2007-2008 Dark Eyes
(Russian Folk Music)
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
by Michel Legrand
I Could Have Danced All Night
by Jamie Cullum
Dare You To Move
by Switchfoot
2006-2007 Assassination Tango (Building the Bullet)
by Luis Bacalov
Valse Triste
by Jean Sibelius
Black Magic Woman
by Santana
Tennessee Waltz
by Holly Cole Trio
2005 - 2006 Beautiful Maria; Do You Only Wanna Dance
by The Mambo Kings; Julio Daviel Big Band
Malaguena
by Raul Di Blasio
No Me Ames
by Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony
Everybody Dance Now
by C & C Music Factory
2004 - 2005 Call Me Irresponsible; Puttin On The Ritz
by Bobby Darrin; Unknown
Adios Nonino
by Astor Piazzolla
Everybody Dance Now
by C & C Music Factory
2003 - 2004 Tears On My Pillows; Tutti Frutti
by Little Anthony; Little Richard
Russian Medley
by Johann Christian Bach
2002 - 2003 Les Poissons; Concerto Sopra Motivi dell'Opera
by : Unknown; Johann Christian Bach
Magaienha; Eres Todo En Mi; Tres Deseos
by Sergio Mendes; Ana Gabriel; Gloria Estefan

Competitive highlights

(with Moir)

Event 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009
World Championships 6th 2nd
Four Continents Championships 3rd 3rd 1st 2nd
World Junior Championships 11th 2nd 1st
Canadian Championships 3rd N. 7th J. 1st J. 4th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st
Grand Prix Final 4th
Skate Canada International 2nd 1st
NHK Trophy 2nd
Trophee Eric Bompard 4th
Junior Grand Prix Final 2nd 1st
Junior Grand Prix, Canada 1st
Junior Grand Prix, Andorra 1st
Junior Grand Prix, China 1st
Junior Grand Prix, France 2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Croatia 4th
Junior Grand Prix, Slovakia 6th
NACS Thornhill 1st J.
Western Ontario Sectionals 1st J. 1st J. 1st
  • N = Novice level; J = Junior level

References