PYEONGCHANG, South Korea _ All that held Gabriella Papadakis' costume together were a few frayed threads and the prayers of her partner, Guillaume Cizeron.
The top of her dress came loose while the French couple warmed up for the short dance portion of the ice dance competition Monday at Gangneung Ice Arena but they had no time to fix it.
Her desperate efforts to keep it from slipping off hampered her movement and spoiled the stunning unison the two-time world champions usually display during their routine to samba and rhumba music.
"I think in the twizzles it kind of affected us the most," Cizeron said, referring to the rapid, one-footed turns that ice dancers frequently perform, "because when you are rotating it is hard to keep your dress on when it's open."
Her costume eventually gave way and she experienced a wardrobe malfunction that exposed her breast, much to her embarrassment.
That's what most casual watchers will remember. But it shouldn't be forgotten that they managed to hold things together well enough artistically to stay within reach of a gold medal despite a world-record short dance performance by Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the 2010 Olympic champions and 2014 silver medalists.
