When Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the gold medal on Monday in ice dancing, the event’s first gold to be awarded to an American team, their legendary moms were nearby in the stands, where they have been since the duo began skating together 17 years ago.
But where were their dads?
As it turns out, Davis and White’s fathers have a few traditions of their own when he comes to watching their children compete.
Davis’ dad, Paul, traveled to see the duo compete in both Vancouver and Sochi, but he doesn't dare intrude on the tradition the mothers have cemented over the years.
“They just don’t want to get in the way,” Davis told TODAY.com. “They know we have this routine down pat with our moms after doing it time and time again with them.”
Charlie's father, Charlie White Sr., gets so nervous to watch his son compete that he didn’t even make it to the Olympics.
“My dad was back home,” White said. “He just texted me ‘Good luck. I love you.’”
Charlie’s dad told the Detroit Free Press that while he doesn’t come to the rink to watch his son compete, he has a routine of his own at home. He turns on the performance on his TV and paces around the room without watching. Only when he hears the music stop does he look at the pair’s faces and see how they did.
“Their support has obviously been just as tremendous as our moms’,” White told TODAY.com about their dads. “We certainly couldn’t have done it without them.”
TODAY.com editor Steve Veres contributed to this report.