IFS FEBRUARY 2017 goes on sale on Jan. 20 at Barnes & Noble in the U.S. and Chapters/Indigo in Canada.
The free dance music for their comeback season, “Pilgrims on a Long Journey,” could easily describe the endeavour that Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have undertaken this year. Though their enviable résumé includes Olympic gold and silver and two World titles, they still consider it far from complete.
From the outset they understood that this would not be a case of same old, same old. The ice dance world has evolved in leaps and bounds since they left in 2014, and while some things might seem familiar, Virtue and Moir already know the game is no longer the same.
“It hits you like a ton of bricks, actually. There’s so many things,” said Moir, 29, when asked how it felt to return to competition. “Some days, we feel like Bill Murray in ‘Groundhog Day.’ Just trying to keep that fresh perspective is important. It’s a good time for us to remember that.”
The first battle of the Grand Prix Series did not play out in his favor, but Yuzuru Hanyu took it all in stride. Known for never being at his best so early in the season, a second-place finish at Skate Canada spurred him into action. Despite his loss, Hanyu said he ”did not consider it a bad start.”
Evgenia Medvedeva reached one of the highest pinnacles of the sport when she won the World title in April 2016. That victory came on the heels of the Grand Prix Final, national and European titles.
After a tumultuous year of unexpected changes, Patrick Chan is moving ahead at full speed. A coaching change in mid-2016 has brought what he calls a revamped version of himself this year. The results from the first half of the season have been promising — gold medals at his two Grand Prix events, Skate Canada and Cup of China, earned him a berth at the Grand Prix Final in Marseille, France.
