Wardrobe problem vexes skaters
The first notes of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” had just played when Gabriella Papadakis became aware that people were about to see more of her shape than she had planned.
The French ice dancer’s glittering emerald costume had come unhooked at the neckline and later in the routine her left breast was exposed live on television.
Papadakis’ swinging short program with Guillaume Cizeron was threatening to go down in history alongside Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction during her Super Bowl halftime performance.
“I felt it right away and I prayed,” Papadakis said. “That’s about what I could do.”
Somehow, the French couple kept things together through most of their Latin program, producing a score of 81.93 points that left them second behind Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
Shiffrin drops out of downhill race
At the last Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin exuberantly talked about chasing five gold medals this time around. Now it turns out she’ll enter only three races at the 2018 Games.
The two-time gold medalist dropped out of the downhill race so she can focus on the Alpine combined event that was moved to the following day.
The downhill is Wednesday, so the 22-year-old American would have had to race on consecutive days. When she tried that earlier at these games, she followed her gold in the giant slalom by finishing fourth in the slalom as the defending champion.
She pulled out of the super-g on what would have been a third day in a row of racing.
Russia reinstatement chance in limbo
Russia could lose its chance to be reinstated before the end of the Olympics because of a doping charge against curling bronze medalist Alexander Krushelnitsky.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement that it has “initiated a procedure involving” Krushelnitsky, who finished third in mixed doubles with his wife, Anastasia Bryzgalova.
Russian officials said he tested positive for meldonium, which was banned in 2016, and has left the Olympic village. No date has been set for a hearing.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said a failed doping test could keep Russia’s banned team from marching under the national flag at the closing ceremony.
Hands off? Norovirus prompts precautions
One of hockey’s most time-honored traditions is in danger of not happening at the Olympics.
Officials have told players to fist-bump each other rather than shake hands to prevent transmission of norovirus, which is highly contagious.
U.S. defenseman James Wisniewski’s 62-year-old father tested positive for norovirus last week and is one of 49 of 283 confirmed Olympic cases still in quarantine.
Women’s teams have decided to continue shaking hands. Players know about the warning and decided the meaning behind the postgame ritual outweighs the risks.