It's kind of scary how basically no one saw this one coming. Now that I look back at it all, I can see little signs, but nothing that would make me think that either of them would actually go through with ending the best ever dance dynasty in Canada --- especially for good.
As devastated as I am, I know it's probably all for the best. Victor said in an article that they weren't spending enough time together, training and such, so that prompted him to move on... and the media kind of spotlights the support on Shae here, I have to say, that quote in particular means something.
After they won worlds, Shae started coaching with Nikolai, kind of putting her skating with Victor to the backburner, never actually talking about it with him. It left him to make choices, and one of those choices was to stop skating. When you're doing it solely for the other person's satisfaction --- and for the sake of doing it, it means nothing anymore. It's like a stale relationship that stays together even though there's no love left. It's better to split and be happy then stay together and not be.
I wish them both the best of luck. There's not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that Shae-Lynn will be a great skater on SOI on her own -- the transition might be a little difficult, but with her shining personality, she'll make it. Victor, whatever he choses to do, he will be successful. He's well mannered, respectable and intelligent and will make it anywhere, whether in skating or not in skating.
We will always have memories. We will always be able to say that we shared in watching them win the GPF in 1997 or 2001, and winning worlds in 2003, either by being there or feeling like we were there, as we watched so intently on our TV screens and screamed with them. We went through their ups and downs, their crowning glory and their defeats, through shrieks of happiness to tears of sadness, we watched.
Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz - two names that will forever match with a rhythm comparable to Gordeeva & Grinkov. Wherever they go, whatever they do, they should know that they will always have had fans out there, some eternal fans, some who just watched them once, some who watched them once and became enchanted.
Thanks for the memories together, and thanks in advance for the memories in the future-- on your own.
(((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))) sorry I'm never around to chat anymore... but feel free to email me anytime!
:sheesh: 
:\ when I heard all the rumors about L&T, and I'm still hoping they will come back to competition, or at least stay together to do SOI, COI, Pro events ect. Who knows, maybe Shae and Vic will someday get togther to do an event or something i the future. This is truly sad news, but I hope they are both happy.
