winter olympics 2018

South Korean Figure Skater’s Costume Came Dangerously Close to Falling Off

South Korea's Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin.
South Korea’s Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin. Photo: MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images

South Korean figure skater Yura Min was only five seconds into her short dance routine with partner Alexander Gamelin when she felt the main hook holding together her costume come undone — an unfortunate mishap that nearly left her topless on worldwide television. According to the Detroit Free Press, Kim was “terrified the entire program.”

To prevent her entire top from slipping off, the 22-year-old reportedly improvised the rest of the routine, holding back her shoulders and arms, and occasionally adjusting her loose costume. (The clasp was located at the top of her back.)

“This is my first Olympics, our first program, and if my top were to come down, that would have been a disaster,” she said. “I was very nervous that the entire thing was going to come off.”

She briefly considered stopping the routine but ultimately decided not to, as that would’ve resulted in a deduction.

“Obviously, there were some things she couldn’t do because her costume came undone,” Gamelin said. “She had to fix it a couple of times. I think the skating was good.”

The couple may have placed ninth out of ten teams, but Kim gets major points for handling her truly unfortunate wardrobe malfunction with creativity and grace. And when they perform next on February 18, the costume will no longer have a faulty clasp — the couple plans on sewing that costume together.

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