Winter Olympics 2018: Is retirement next step for Virtue, Moir?

Kaylee Pofahl

Winter Olympics 2018: Is retirement next step for Virtue, Moir? image

After their gold medal performance, it seemed like Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir not only won the ice dance competition, but the entire Winter Olympics. 

The pair became the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history after scoring a personal-best 122.40 points for a record-setting 206.07 total. Virtue and Moir beat out their French rivals, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, to claim their third career gold medal with a sensational interpretation of "Moulin Rouge."

 

"That performance was really special and truly memorable. The gold medal is the cherry on the cake. We are so grateful to our team for having prepared us for this. We are taking in every single moment,” Virtue said after the victory. 

The dazzling performance was easily one of the highlights of this year's Winter Games, but left fans not only speculating about Virtue and Moir's potential romantic relationship (which they've denied) but the future of their careers as well. 

Virtue and Moir briefly retired after the 2014 Sochi Games, where they won two silver medals in the ice dance and team event. A few years ago, the pair decided to make another Olympic run that landed them at center ice in PyeongChang. 

MORE: Figure Skating fashion at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Virtue, 28, and Moir, 30, have been skating together for 20 years now. They were the flag bearers at this year's games, broke the record for most Olympic figure skating medals in history and are tied with Sweden's Gillis Grafstrom, Norway's Sonja Henie and the Soviet Union's Irina Rodnina for the most gold hardware. 

PyeongChang would be an incredibly high note for Virtue and Moir to finish on. The pair already confirmed that they won't be at the upcoming World Championships but haven't indicated their future plans beyond that. 


“If it is the end we are extremely pleased with that. We’ll probably make an announcement in the coming days, but for us we just want to enjoy this right now and let the dust kind of settle and figure out what’s next,” Moir said regarding a potential retirement announcement. 

After such a captivating showing at the 2018 Winter Olympics, fans will be holding their breath to find out what Virtue and Moir's plans are, whether they involve announcing their retirmenet, competing in future Olympics or giving in to rumors about their alleged romantic relationship. 

Kaylee Pofahl