TURIN, Italy – Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto were supposed to change American figure skating history. Last night, they just added to the Americans’ disappointing run in Olympic ice dancing.
The couple is in sixth place after the compulsory dance, albeit just 1.42 points out of first place. They entered the Olympics with medal hopes and still have a chance, but now must leapfrog three teams to get to the podium.
“It was shaky here and there,” Belbin said. “We could have competed [the dance] better. But we’re proud we could go out there and attack it with confidence. And knowing the rest of the events are better for us, we’re looking forward to the original dance.”
Ice dancing is a three-night event with the original dance tomorrow, followed by the free skate on Monday. Italians Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio finished the compulsory dance in first place.
Belbin and Agosto have put ice dancing on the map of U.S. winter sports. The sport has long been overshadowed by the individual and pairs competitions, because the United States usually has no medal hopes. A U.S. team last medaled in the event in 1976, but Belbin and Agosto are expected to change that.
Belbin, born in Canada, was given citizenship in December after a bill was signed into law speeding up her immigration in time to compete here. The couple took silver at last year’s worlds, and hoped to match that here.
After they competed last night, they were in third place but were bumped down as the night went on. Immediately after they finished, Belbin felt they still had a shot at a medal.
“We’re all within striking distance of a podium spot,” Belbin said. “And I expect as this event finishes off, there will be a few more people squeezed in between here and there. The judges are marking it as they see it. But also, they want to make it so it’s not such a long shot for each placement to try to move around, because I think the original dances and the free dances are stronger for some people and weaker for some people, so I definitely see movement happening in the future.”