Olympic Dream Dashed by Costume Catastrophe
French ice dancing star Gabriella Papadakis experienced every athlete's worst nightmare during the pinnacle of her career. While competing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a devastating wardrobe malfunction derailed her gold medal aspirations in the most public and humiliating fashion imaginable.
The Moment That Changed Everything
During their crucial ice dance routine at Gangneung Ice Arena, Papadakis and her longtime skating partner Guillaume Cizeron were executing their signature moves when disaster struck. As Cizeron spun Papadakis during their performance, her costume unexpectedly came undone at the back, exposing her nipple to the judges and global television audience.
"It was my worst nightmare," Papadakis later confessed about the traumatic incident. "My costume opened up. It was difficult. It's the first time that something like that happened. I tried to stay focused and finish without anything else happening."
Despite the shocking wardrobe failure occurring mid-performance, the French duo demonstrated remarkable professionalism by completing their routine without further incident. Their composure under extreme pressure earned them an impressive score of 81.93 from the judges, placing them second at the competition's halfway stage.
The Cost of a Costume Failure
Cizeron later revealed his frustration that the costume issue likely cost them crucial points in their pursuit of Olympic gold. The pair ultimately secured the silver medal with a final score of 205.28, missing the top podium position by a narrow margin.
"It's just frustrating to miss a few points just because of a costume issue," Cizeron expressed. "It's not what we get ready for when we train. But you know, I'm so proud that we managed to pull out a program like that even with a difficulty like this."
The skater specifically identified the twizzles (rapid rotational moves) as particularly problematic once her costume had come undone. "I think the twizzles is the only thing that kind of affected us the most because, you know, when you rotate it's kind of hard to keep your dress on when it's open," he explained.
Redemption and Subsequent Rift
Four years later at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Papadakis and Cizeron achieved redemption by finally securing the gold medal that had eluded them in PyeongChang. They defeated Russian pair Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov to claim the top spot on the podium.
However, their professional partnership would eventually fracture following their retirement in December 2024. The rift became public when Papadakis published her memoir 'So as Not to Disappear,' in which she described Cizeron as "controlling, demanding and critical" during their figure skating partnership.
Memoir Sparks Bitter Dispute
Cizeron vehemently rejected his former partner's characterization, accusing her of including false information in her book and conducting what he termed a "smear campaign" against him.
"In the face of this smear campaign, I want to express my incomprehension and disagreement with the labels attributed to me," Cizeron stated. "The book contains false information, including statements I never made, which I consider serious."
The French skater defended their two-decade partnership, saying: "For more than 20 years, I have shown deep respect for Gabriella Papadakis. Despite the gradual erosion of our bond, our relationship was built on equal collaboration and marked by success and mutual support."
Career Consequences
The controversy had tangible professional consequences for Papadakis. She had been scheduled to serve as a commentator for NBC during the 2026 Winter Olympics but was dropped from the position amid the memoir controversy.
"To my knowledge, in reaction to Guillaume filing a formal notice, which was made public, they (NBC) considered that the perception of my neutrality was compromised and that I could not commentate on the Olympic Games," Papadakis revealed to L'Equipe.
The former Olympian admitted struggling emotionally with the decision: "I'm not dealing with it very well, I've cried a lot. I was super disappointed because I was just beginning that career as a commentator."
The saga that began with a momentary costume failure during an Olympic performance ultimately evolved into a complex personal and professional dispute between two former champions, demonstrating how a single incident can reverberate through an athlete's career long after the competition has ended.
