winter olympics 2018

See Winter Olympic Figure Skaters Compete to Beyoncé and ‘Despacito’

Maé-Bérénice Méité
Maé-Bérénice Méité. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

After the 2014 Winter Olympics, the International Skating Union decided to lift its ban on music with lyrics, which means that the 2018 games in PyeongChang, South Korea are open season for skaters who want to set their complicated choreography to popular hits. Now that the competitors are no longer confined to classical music and the like, some are presenting programs scored by recent Billboard chart-toppers. On Saturday, France’s Maé-Bérénice Méité twirled to Beyoncé’s “Halo” and “Run the World (Girls).” Meanwhile South Korean team members Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin chose last year’s song of the summer“Despacito.” Watch clips below or the full programs on NBC.

See Winter Olympic Skaters Compete to Beyoncé & ‘Despacito’