The Other Side of Gold

Ice Dance Made in Michigan T Shirts by GadflyInvestigations
Browse more Skating T-Shirts at Zazzle

No secret I am a Figure Skating fan, and I admit I was thrilled to see Davis and White win, and am enjoying all the media coverage of them.  However; for every happy ending there is a not so happy ending, especially when competition is involved. In order for there to be a #1 there has to be a #2 - 3 - 4 and so on.  I refuse to use the word loser as it has too many negative connotations.  
Where I am I going with all this?  Well, first I want to talk about an interesting connection with the musical piece Scheherazade.  In the 1984 Olympics US Ice Dancers Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert came extremely close to winning a Bronze Medal, but lost it as one judge gave them a deduction for their music - Scheherazade - saying it was inappropriate music for Ice Dance.  Interesting that now 30 years later the US Ice Dancers win Gold with the same music.  Ice Dancing and the scoring has evolved a great deal since that time but, it is an interesting coincidence.  
For your comparison and enjoyment - Blumberg and Seibert's "Scheherazade"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyfosI-IcYY

Now on to Virtue and Moir 2010 Gold Medalists and Silver Medalists this year.  They skated beautifully and I am sure their fans felt they deserved Gold.  That is the beauty and frustration of judged sports; not everyone has the same perception.  I will say that I think we skating fans benefited from the competition between Virtue /Moir and Davis/White as it drove them both to ever higher levels.  
I saw this video on NBC's Olympics site and I thought is was very poignant and worthy of sharing. Thank you Virtue/Moir and Davis/White it was an truly epic competition.  No words necessary to describe this - it speaks for itself.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/team-canadas-scott-moir-caught-kissing-ice



 

Motown Ice Showdown Bumper Sticker by GadflyInvestigations
Make your own bumper sticker online at zazzle.com

Motown Ice Showdown in Sochi

Motown Ice Showdown Bumper Sticker by GadflyInvestigations
View more Skating Bumper Stickers

Have you been watching the Olympics?  Did you know the top 2 Ice Dance teams in the world train in Michigan?  Canton to be exact.  In years past figure skating has had 'The Battle of the Brians' and "Battle of the Carmens'.   In Sochi it looks like we have the  'Motown Ice Showdown'. 

Canadians and reigning Olympic Gold medalists  Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir versus Americans and reigning World Champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White.  Both teams go for the Olympic gold in Ice Dancing starting 02/16. 

 The Gadfly Investigations Newspaper wishes both teams all the best and looks forward to watching both teams skate - they are all GREAT.  

Motown Ice Showdown Bumper Sticker by GadflyInvestigations
View more Skating Bumper Stickers

Is Michigan the Ice Dance Capital of the World?

Davis and White at Skate America 2013 in Detroit, Michigan

Congratulations to Charlie White and Meryl Davis  who won the US Figure Skating Ice Dance title for a record 6th time.  They will be heading to Sochi to face the 2010 Olympic gold medalists Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir; who incidentally train at the same rink as Davis and White in Canton, Michigan.  In fact all 3 dance teams from the United States and all 3 dance teams from Canada that are heading to Sochi train in Michigan.  3 teams train at the Arctic Figure Skating Club in Canton, Michigan, 2 teams train at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and 1 team trains at the Skating Club of Novi in Novi, Michigan.

 FYI - The University of Michigan will also be well represented in Ice Dancing, as 5 out of the 6 US Ice Dancers are students or graduated from the University of Michigan. 

Additionally, we would like to congratulate Patrick Chan, who won the Canadian Mens title and Jeremy Abbott who won the US Mens title.  Both men will be heading to Sochi to compete for Olympic gold and both men train at the Detroit Skating Club.   

 US Ice Dance team = Charlie White and Meryl Davis - Evan Bates and Madison Chock - Maia & Alex Shibutani
Canadian Ice Dance Team = Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje - Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam