If you watched Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's routine Sunday at the Winter Olympics, you know exactly where this is going.
A controversial move of theirs, a lift from their "Moulin Rouge!"-inspired free program routine, was apparently a little too racy for the Olympics, and they altered it for their performance in Pyeongchang. The maneuver in question has Virtue straddle Moir's shoulders while facing him.
>> Click here to see the altered move (at 2:09)
"What it came down to, actually, was that when we slowed it down and looked on the video, it wasn't aesthetically that beautiful of a position, so we wanted to change it, make it a little bit better," Moir told The Toronto Star.
Moir has reportedly called the move "suggestive" after it made headlines following the pair's victory at the 2018 Canadian National Skating Championships in January.
“We wanted to make a bit of a different statement, and if that was bringing a certain edge or sexuality or darkness or a contemporary feeling to it, mission accomplished, I guess,” Virtue said at the Vancouver championships, according to The Star.
The adjustment the couple showed off in their opening performance Sunday, which pushed Canada to win the gold medal in team figure skating, had Virtue straddle Moir's shoulders for a shorter time before she closed the maneuver with a single-dip and dismount.
Virtue and Moir reconsidered the move after The Canadian Press hesitated to distribute photos depicting the risqué lift.
"I think we liked that it made a statement, and it was different and that was great for the start of the season, but for the overall vision of the program, we hope that this new position fits a little better," Virtue told The Star.
About the Author
