GANGNEUNG, South Korea — The morning of the women’s short program of figure skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics was just like any other competition morning for Bradie Tennell, the United States’ national champion.
She crunched on some cornflakes. She met with her mother, so she could sew a hairpiece into her bun. She listened to some classic rock, with one of her favorite songs, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” playing in her ears just before her performance.
Tennell likes her routine. It helps her focus, and focusing has helped her build a reputation as a woman who never, ever stumbles.