Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto

1.22 points. That's what separated first and second place in ice dance at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles. I thought the ice dance competition was the most exciting event at Worlds because the United States' Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto (see right) and Russia's Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin were neck and neck up to the very end. After Tanith and Ben won the original dance, the excitement grew as the possibility of them winning Worlds was a reality.

But alas, it wasn't meant to be that evening, as Oksana and Maxim took the title by 1.22 points. Given Ben's back injury, coaching changes and the whispers of their retirement looming, it was pretty thrilling to see them win the silver medal. So when Tanith and Ben came to New York City for a benefit, I wanted to ask them about their win and how they felt about the whole experience. In sum, they feel great going into the Olympic year, their confidence level is at an all-time high, and they truly feel they will peak at the perfect time for the 2009-2010 season. And as usual, all eyes were on Tanith as she posed for photographers on the red carpet. Someone described her outfit as "Matrix-inspired." Um...I disagree. It's overall sexy and young, but I wasn't thinking "Matrix." What do you think? See Tanith's outfit here.