Vancouver exploded in wild celebration and exhaled a huge sigh of relief on Sunday after moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to strike Olympic gold at home. Denied a place at the top of the podium at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and again at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary,Bilodeau finally delivered the golden moment Canadians had long craved,touching off a night of revelry while driving a nail into talk of a Canadian Olympic curse. We came down here because we think the Olympic rings floating in the harbour will turn gold tonight, said Laurie Harnett,as she and her husband Frank walked towards the Olympic flame burning on the Vancouver waterfront. It was just awesome. I almost couldnt watch, added her husband,wearing a Canadian Olympic hockey jersey. Gold fever and unseasonably warm weather pulled thousands of Vancouverites and Olympic visitors into the downtown core packing streets and turning Robson Square into party central. At the Royal Canadian Mint pavilion a queue of people snaked its way up Granville Street as thousands waited patiently for up to four hours for a chance to hold an Olympic gold medal on home soil something no Canadian had been able to claim until Bilodeau ended the drought. Groups of people waving Canadian flags and wearing red wool Olympic mittens raced up and down the streets screaming Canada gold,Canada gold. Figure skating record In figure skating,Chinese husband and wife Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo set a world record in winning the opening pairs short program. The two-time bronze medalists were the first skaters of the night usually a disadvantage and managed 76.66 points,.70 ahead of two-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany,who skated last. It was a gift for Valentines Day,and today was just the short program, Zhao said. Hopefully tomorrow will be as good.
