Marina Zoueva faced the ultimate test of her loyalties at the Winter Olympics on Monday as, in a bittersweet twist for ice dancing's supreme coach, she found her allegiances torn three ways.

Born and raised in Russia, the spiritual heart and soul of ice dancing, a part of Zoueva wanted the host nation to win - but she had also been working tirelessly trying to get the US or Canada to top the podium.

As the longtime coach of American duo Meryl Davis and Charlie White and the Canadian tandem of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, it is a scenario Zoueva has long had to live with.