She's A Bridesmaid No More

We're betting that somewhere in Vancouver, there's a good chance Anabelle Langlois is finding one more person to hug.
Or, more precisely, somebody's offering her a warm, knowing embrace.
This much is oh so true about figure skating. Everyone, it seems, has a story about some sort of adversity to share. And, in this tight-knit little community, everyone, it seems, knows everybody else's story.
Which explains, for the most part, why lots of people are happy for Langlois today. She has been to the ball — the BMO Canadian figure skating championships — more times than she'd probably care to remember. Not once did she find herself standing on top of the podium.
Always a bridesmaid, never the bride, as the saying goes.
But the 26-old-native of Gatineau, Que., a barmaid in Barrie, Ont., when she's not training on the ice, is the toast of Canadian pairs skating today. Or rather, she and her leading man Cody Hay, a reserved young guy from Dawson Creek, Alta., who proved to be the perfect match for the fiery Langlois after all.
Langlois and Hay, Canadian pairs champions.
How good does that sound?
"Amazing. I’m not going to lie," said Langlois. "Amazing. Fantastic."
They couldn't have cut it any closer, though. Langlois and Hay finished with 175.01 points; defending champions Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison a scant 0.15 behind (174.86).
No wonder Langlois' jaw dropped, almost in disbelief, when their victory was finally confirmed. It couldn't have been any more dramatic.
"Cody told me ‘we’re first’ and I kind of looked at him at said ‘whaat?’ " said Langlois.
Then again, she's been down this road before, only to have it end in bitter disappointment. Especially in 2003 and 2004, when Langlois and former partner Patrice Archetto led after the short program, only to implode in the free.
"It’s almost surreal," she said of finally winding up on top. "I was always wanting to win, obviously, but I think I’d almost given up on ever being Canadian champion."
Everyone, as we've said, knows all about Langlois' struggles. When Craig Buntin — who authored quite a story himself this week with new partner Meagan Duhamel — heard the final result, he immediately started clapping in the media mixed zone.
"Good for them," he said. "It's been awhile."
Nobody knows that better than Hay, who shared training ice with Langlois at the Royal Glenora Skating Club in Edmonton for a few years before they became a team (they're now based at the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie with coach Lee Barkell).
"I’ve known Anabelle for years, going back to when she was skating with Patrice," said Hay, 24, who believes he's taken the "express route" by comparison. "I know the highs and the lows they had, especially at nationals. Now winning the national championship … to see the excitement and the relief on Anabelle’s face, that was an even bigger (thrill) for me."
But even in her happiest moment, Langlois shared in the joy of others. She talked about how happy she was for Duhamel, who has had her own rocky road at Canadians — a thought that had the little skater from Lively, Ont., nearly in tears as she contemplated a bronze medal and a trip to the world championships in Sweden. Yes, it's her first.
"It’s been like an unbelievable journey," Duhamel, 22, said as her voice began to break. "I’m so thankful that I’ve had this opportunity. I’ve had a really bad run of Canadian championships, so this feels really good. It started in 2005 and didn’t end.
"I just had this big fear of Canadians, I guess. It’s gone."
Buntin had almost given up on finding the ideal partner after Valerie Marcoux of Gatineau, Que., the skater with whom he won three Canadian crowns, retired after last season. But here were he and Duhamel, almost pulling off a remarkable title run themselves before winding up with the bronze (170.28).
"We’ve put in 14 months of work in the past seven months," he said. "My last worlds (in 2007 with Marcoux) could have been 10 years ago. It’s been such a journey ever since."
Another story, no doubt, that everyone here knows.
And, given the happy ending, has a lot of folks smiling on this day.