Quick-thinking Canadian Olympic figure skater Piper Gilles rescues wardrobe malfunction
It was a breathtaking performance from Canada’s ice dancing duo of Paul Poirier and Piper Gilles.
And, after 15 years of skating together, they finally won their first Olympic medal, leaving the duo in tears.
The Canadians entered the free dance in third place, but it wasn’t for the quick-thinking from Gilles, they would have been fourth.
Towards the end of the rhythm dance, one of Poirier’s armbands was attached to Gilles’ tights. It would have resulted in a point deduction, had any of the judges noticed it.
But Gilles saved the day before anyone noticed.
Poirier’s armband was attached to Gilles’ left knee. (CBC)
They continued their dance, as Poirier’s armband flapped in the air while strapped to Gilles’ leg.
Towards the end of the routine, Gilles was able to snag the armband off her tights.
Gilles was able to reach for the armband at the end of their routine. (CBC)
Then, she smoothly tucked the armband behind her back as the couple finished their top-three dance.
Gilles finished the routine with Poirier’s armband in her hand behind her back. (CBC)
After flirting with disaster before eventually avoiding it, the duo explained what happened in that moment.
“I didn’t even notice, for the record,” Poirier said.
“I didn’t know what was happening, I’m blind at that point.”
However, Gilles, who prevented the wardrobe malfunction from costing Canada, explained how she saved the day.
“Because it was attached to my own tights, I could feel something that wasn’t normal,” she said following the bronze medal win.
“I was like, ‘Oh no, if we get a deduction for this, I’m going to be so upset.'”
Wardrobe malfunctions can cost figure skaters a 1.0 point deduction. If the armband hit the ice, which nearly happened, it would have caused Poirier and Gilles to slip down to fourth after the rhythm dance section.
That didn’t happen, thanks to Gilles.
“So, I grabbed it in the nick of time and hid it behind my back,” she said.
“Those moments just go to show how prepared and ready we were for a moment like that. We were so unfazed.”
Gilles has shown incredible resilience before reaching the podium in 2026, having recently overcome a battle with ovarian cancer.
So of course, a loose armband wasn’t going to stand in her way of coming home from Italy with a medal.