It was an exercise in futility.

They knew what would happen before they stepped on the ice. Here they were - the Olympics, the Games they�d trained towards since they�d first held hands, the competition that was supposed to be about survival of the fittest - and yet, they were doomed before they even started.

Those in the know spoke of something called �bloc judging�. East vs. West - a Cold War on ice. Deals, alliances, predetermined results... in the world of sport, it shouldn�t have happened. But ice dance has always been caught precariously between the worlds of art and sport, and judging is subjective. Subjective, in Nagano, to a ludicrous degree. It was ridiculous. It was unfair. It was, as Shae-Lynn Bourne put in after it was all over, �inhumane�.

Then why were Shae-Lynn and Victor smiling?

They were smiling because they knew what they�d come to the Olympics for, what they�d dreamt of since they were children. They were smiling because no matter what the judges did, the reason why they�d come had not changed. It was to skate - not for medals, not for marks, but for themselves. For their fans. For the pure joy, the love of it.

All this showed in their freeskate in Nagano. Four minutes of Riverdance on ice - what was now the signature program of their career made magic yet again at the White Ring. They would not show their frustration. No tears would be shed. They remembered why they�d started and how they�d gotten this far, and when they�d finished skating, their smiles weren�t forced. Unlike the smiles after their compulsory dance, when they�d been placed fifth and knew what their fate would be, these smiles were real.

It could be seen not only on their faces, but in their eyes as they looked at each other when the music finally came to an end. Their Olympics would not end with a medal, but they�d skated like champions. And their smiles told the world, �Don�t cry for us, guys... we will be okay.�