to move up and down
Olympic and world champions Tessa Virtue of London, Ont., and Scott Moir of Ilderton, Ont., were the ice dance victors at the Rostelecom Cup on Saturday.
Virtue and Moir also dominated with a season-best 173.99 points. It is the third time in four seasons that the Canadians have won the maximum two Grand Prix in a season.
“It was great, a really solid performance for us,” said Virtue. “From beginning until the end there was a little bit more intensity in every movement. Our goal this year was not to repeat any element we’ve done in the past; every lift, footwork and spin is new. That’s risky in ice dancing and at this point in the year we have to stay focused on the big goal and continue building to the worlds.”
U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas comforts a crying second-placed Russia’s gymnast Victoria Komova after she won the artistic gymnastics women’s individual all-around final. Make it a pair of golds for Douglas, who added another gold to the one she won with the U.S. team two nights ago.
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The blue clay at the Madrid Open makes for a great photo, but a few tennis stars have complained about the swap.
“The only thing that is a little bit disappointing from a player’s standpoint is that this is decided without players agreeing on it,” Novak Djokovic said Monday. “If you don’t have, especially, top players testing the court and agreeing for this change, that should mean something. They should have value in what they say.”
After a few days of play, the main criticism has been that the surface is too slippery.
The ATP said it approved the move after all necessary tests were performed on the Madrid court, and that the surface’s future will be evaluated after it receives feedback from players this week. The ATP calls the change “innovative” and says the color makes it easier for players, fans and TV viewers to follow the ball.
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Kermit take in the Yankees’ home opener.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat wore black hoodies on Friday to show their support of the Trayvon Martin case. The 17-year-old was shot dead by neighbourhood watch captain George Zimmerman in Florida, who thought the unarmed teenager looked suspicious. Martin was wearing a hoodie when he was killed. (via Twitter)
If you didn’t get enough of the royal family yesterday …
It wasn’t much of a race, but then it really couldn’t have been as the world’s fastest man and Britain’s Prince Harry met up on a track Tuesday in the Jamaican capital.
The prince got off to a false start and was about 50 meters down the track as Usain Bolt bent over with laughter. The Olympic medalist then jogged up to Harry, making one of his signature skyward points for a crowd of onlookers at the University of the West Indies in the Jamaican capital.
Yes, it has come to this for Montreal Canadiens fans.
Nine hundred pounds of Butterfingers were delivered to Copley Square in Boston by online pawn shop company Pawngo. It’s a reference to New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who dropped a crucial pass in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. The Butterfingers even came with their own sign: “Thank you, Wes Welker”
Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow helps Alec Baldwin perfect his “Tebowing” at the NFL Honors show.
“Bless you, Tim,” Baldwin responded.
That capped a nearly 10-minute monologue Saturday night on the eve of the Super Bowl as The Associated Press awards for the 2011 season were announced. Photo: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
FIGURE SKATING: Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the U.S. skates during their ice dance practice session at the ISU Grand Prix at the Pavillon de la Jeunesse in Quebec City. The competition will start on December 9. REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger
Ovechkin ‘shocked’ by Boudreau firing
It was supposed to be a reporter’s dream. Coach gets fired? Go see the player he had a rift with. The reaction from Washington star Alex Ovechkin, though, to the release of head coach Bruce Boudreau was less than sizzling. Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
FIGURE SKATING: Tessa Virtue (L) and Scott Moir of Canada perform during the Ice Dance Short Dance in the Bompard Trophy event at Bercy in Paris. Photo: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Bendy!
Kristina Gorshkova and Vitali Butikov of Russia practice during a training session before the Bompard Trophy event at Bercy in Paris. Photo: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
