Four years after winning silver in Vancouer, Charlie White and Meryl Davis out skated their Canadian rivals to claim the USA’s first ice dancing gold medal.
According to USA Today, White and Davis were ahead of Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir 2.5 points going into the final round of competition on Monday. After a beautiful show in the free dance, Virtue and Moir posted a hefty score of 114.66. Still, White and Davis performed flawlessly in their “Scheherazade” free dance to earn an incredible 116.63. Overall, they topped the Canadians by 4.53 to take the gold medal from defending Olympic champions.
ABC News reports that the American couple practices back at home in the same facility as their biggest competitors.
“No athletes like to sit in this position. We came here to win the competition,” Moir spoke to ESPN about the rivalry. “It’s easier when we see them and know how hard these guys work.”
While Davis and White were thrilled with their historical win, they were also quick to acknowledge the Canadian pair for motivating them to improve beyond Vancouver.
“You dream of this for so long, work so hard, and they worked hard, too,” White told reporters shortly after the final. “They always have been with us, pushing us, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”
Image: NBC