This French Ice Dancer Handled Her Wardrobe Malfunction at the Olympics in the Best Way Possible

Krystin Arneson
Updated
A French ice dancer at the Olympics and her skating partner were caught out with a wardrobe malfunction during their routine but handled it like total pros.

Of all the times for a wardrobe malfunction to happen—a split pencil skirt, a broken pants zipper, a popped-off button on a blouse—the worst time in the world has to be at the Olympics. When you're an athlete. And everyone is watching you. That's unfortunately what happened to French ice dancer Gabriella Papadakis, who had to deal with an unexpected loose top during her routine with partner Guillaume Cizeron.

The incident led to a bit of a nip slip during her routine, which of course a million people dissected after it happened. The worst part was that the screens in the arena literally replayed the moment it unclasped in slow-motion on the big screens, which begs the question of who thought that was the right decision.

Apparently the incident kicked off when Cizeron put his hand behind Papadakis' neck fewer than 10 seconds after their routine began, likely hitting the clasp of her halter neck costume in the process. Considering that ice dancing involves lots of twirls, spins, and the occasional lift, this wasn't ideal.

“It was my worst nightmare happening at the Olympics,” Papadakis said. “It happened in the first few seconds [of the routine]. I told myself I didn’t have a choice; I have to keep going.”

The pair later admitted that the malfunction definitely affected the rest of their routine, especially because it was kind of impossible to stop and take a look at the situation mid-routine.

“When you rotate, it’s kind of hard to keep your dress on when it’s open,” Cizeron said. “It was in our thoughts all along the program. I think the result affected us.”

When asked how she coped during the rest of the routine, Papadakis answered that she "prayed." "That is about what I could do," she said.

Somehow—and honestly, this speaks volumes about them as ice dancers—they finished second heading into their next skating event Tuesday. They trail behind Canada's too-sexy-for-this-ice duo Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

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