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Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir Photos Through The Years Show Champions In The Making

They've been partners on ice for 20 years!

Name a more iconic Canadian ice dancing duo than Olympic gold medal winners (and most-decorated figure skaters in the history of the event) Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. We bet you can't.

That's because these two have been competing together since 1998, when Virtue was just nine years old and Moir was 11.

The two grew up together on the ice, winning nine Canadian championships, four world championships, and multiple Grand Prix events, cementing their title as one of the world's best ice dancing duos.

But what's even more impressive is that Virtue and Moir have made Olympic history for Canada. In 2010, the pair became the first North Americans to win gold for ice skating at the Vancouver Olympic Games. They also won silver at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, and so far, helped Team Canada take home gold in the figure skating team event in PyeongChang, as well as their individual medal.

Considering Virtue and Moir are the most successful ice dance team in Canadian history, we're taking a look back at their evolution (and how much they've grown!) through the past 20 years.

Late '90s and early 2000s

#tbt #throwback #VirtueMoir #XX

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Virtue and Moir both attended Ontario's Ilderton Skating Club as kids, which is how they first met. At the time, Moir's aunt and coach, Carol, was looking for a partner for her nephew when she noticed Virtue, who she thought was at the right skill level for Moir. Virtue was seven and Moir was nine at the time.

In 1998, the pair entered their first competition together.

A post shared by Tessa Virtue (@tessavirtue17) on

In the early 2000s, the pair continued their training and started competing as juniors in Canada and abroad.

Virtue and Moir perform at Skate Canada on Nov. 2, 2006 in Victoria, B.C.
AFP/Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform at Skate Canada on Nov. 2, 2006 in Victoria, B.C.

The duo won the world junior title in 2006. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, this was the first time Canadian ice dancers won this honour.

2007

Virtue and Moir wear their bronze medals at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Springs on Feb. 9, 2007.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Virtue and Moir wear their bronze medals at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Springs on Feb. 9, 2007.
The pair compete at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy on Dec. 1, 2007 in Sendai, Japan.
Koichi Kamoshida via Getty Images
The pair compete at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy on Dec. 1, 2007 in Sendai, Japan.

This is the year Virtue, then 17, and Moir, then 19, began competing in senior events nationally and internationally.

2008

Virtue and Moir perform at Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Goyang, South Korea in 2008.
AFP/Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform at Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Goyang, South Korea in 2008.

The ice dance partners won silver in their second senior world championships in 2008. In this photo, you can see the passion they have for the sport.

2009

Moir and Virtue at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Pacific Coliseum on Feb. 4, 2009 in Vancouver, B.C.
Getty Images
Moir and Virtue at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Pacific Coliseum on Feb. 4, 2009 in Vancouver, B.C.

In 2009, the pair won bronze at the world championships. The following year they became household names thanks to their success at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

2010

Virtue and Moir perform their original dance at the World Figure Skating Championships on March 25, 2010 in Turin, Italy.
AFP/Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform their original dance at the World Figure Skating Championships on March 25, 2010 in Turin, Italy.

The previous photo from 2009 compared to this photo of the duo competing at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships shows the maturity of the pair and how much they've grown as ice dancers.

Virtue and Moir pose on the podium after winning the 2010 Winter Olympics ice dance figure skating competition in Vancouver on Feb. 22.
AFP/Getty Images
Virtue and Moir pose on the podium after winning the 2010 Winter Olympics ice dance figure skating competition in Vancouver on Feb. 22.

This was the same year Virtue and Moir competed in their first Olympic Games. Not only were they the first North Americans to win gold for ice dancing, but they were also the youngest at age 20 and 22, respectively.

2011

Virtue and Moir perform at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships on April 30, 2011 in Moscow.
ALEXANDER NEMENOV via Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships on April 30, 2011 in Moscow.

In 2008, Virtue was diagnosed with chronic exertional compartment syndrome and underwent surgery for the pain in her shins. In 2011, she had surgery for a second time, which meant she and Moir had to withdraw from the 2011 national championships and Skate Canada.

However, after Virtue's recovery, the duo competed in the 2011 world championships and managed to win silver.

2012

Virtue and Moir perform at the World Team Trophy 2012 competition in Tokyo on April 19, 2012.
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA via Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform at the World Team Trophy 2012 competition in Tokyo on April 19, 2012.

From here, Moir and Virtue continued to rake in the medals, including gold at the world championships and silver at the Grand Prix Final.

2013

Virtue and Moir perform at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on Dec. 8, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan.
Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on Dec. 8, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan.

2013 was the pair's year of silver, as they came in second at the world championships, the Four Continents competition, and the Grand Prix Final. However, that same year they won their fifth Canadian championship.

2014

Virtue and Moir compete at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
sampics via Getty Images
Virtue and Moir compete at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
Virtue and Moir pose with the Canadian flag after winning silver at Sochi.
Toronto Star via Getty Images
Virtue and Moir pose with the Canadian flag after winning silver at Sochi.

At their second Olympic Games in Sochi, the duo won silver.

"We're Olympic silver medallists at the end of the day," Moir told reporters in 2014, according to the Toronto Star. "That's a pretty good feat. I made it very clear in the media that we were coming here for gold but no one's going to steal that moment from us. We went out there and we skated our hearts out and left it all on the ice and we're extremely proud to have another medal for Canada."

2015

Virtue and Moir perform their routine at the 2015 Japan Figure Skating Championships on Dec. 28, 2015 in Sapporo, Japan.
Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform their routine at the 2015 Japan Figure Skating Championships on Dec. 28, 2015 in Sapporo, Japan.

The pair briefly retired after the 2014 Winter Games and didn't compete in the 2014-2015 or 2015-2016 seasons, PopSugar reports. But that didn't mean they stopped performing altogether. The photo above is of the pair ice dancing at the 2015 Japan Figure Skating Championships.

In a 2018 interview with Editors Inc., Virtue explained why the pair needed to "give ourselves some time to breathe" after the Olympics. "At that point, it had been 17 years of competing and training together, and we needed to look after ourselves and see what else was out there," she explained. "Unexpectedly, after just a few months, we really missed it and felt like we still had more to give."

2016

Virtue and Moir compete at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on Dec. 10, 2016 in Marseille, France.
ISU via Getty Images
Virtue and Moir compete at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on Dec. 10, 2016 in Marseille, France.

After a two-year break from ice skating, Virtue and Moir competed in the 2016-2017 season.

"We're not coming back feeling bitter about Sochi or feeling like we're trying to get revenge," Virtue told the National Post at the time. "It's really just purely for the joy of skating. And that's neat, because it's just for us now."

According to Skate Canada, the 2016-2017 season was one of their best ever, as they won their first ISU Grand Prix Final.

2017

Virtue and Moir perform at the ISU Junior & Senior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on Dec. 10, 2017 in Nagoya, Japan.
ISU via Getty Images
Virtue and Moir perform at the ISU Junior & Senior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final on Dec. 10, 2017 in Nagoya, Japan.

This was a big year for the duo. Highlights include winning the 2017 national championship, the 2017 world championship, and the 2017 Four Continents championship.

2018

Virtue and Moir compete in the figure skating team event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Virtue and Moir compete in the figure skating team event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Canada won gold for the ice skating team event at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang.
MLADEN ANTONOV via Getty Images
Canada won gold for the ice skating team event at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang.

Virtue and Moir were Team Canada's flag-bearers at the 2018 Winter Olympics, marking the first time a Canadian man and woman carried the flag together in an opening ceremony.

While many have wondered about Moir and Virtue's relationship (mainly whether or not they're friends or something more), the two revealed to Maclean's last month that they just have good chemistry on ice.

"It's more about a friendship, our working relationship is so strong," Moir said. "We take so much pride in that."

Virtue added, "It's a special partnership. We still really enjoy skating together and I think that's why we still are."

That said, they did date once upon a time.

We can't wait to see what the post-Olympic future holds for them.

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