[ad_1]
An ear-to-ear smile. No regrets. And one other medal wrapped round her neck.
What a refreshing sight it was to see Mikaela Shiffrin basking within the afternoon daylight after one other profitable day within the Italian Dolomites.
Make {that a} profitable world championships.
After accumulating her fourth medal in as many races Saturday by taking bronze within the concluding slalom, the American skier was requested if she was content material with how the whole lot went over these two weeks.
“Sure. That’s an enormous, resounding sure,” Shiffrin replied. “I imply that’s unimaginable. I had deliberate for 4 races and I assumed, ‘OK, that’s 4 possibilities for a medal. Hopefully someplace in these two weeks I can do some good snowboarding.’ And I’m actually pleased with a lot of the snowboarding I did.”
It wasn’t simply the snowboarding, although.
Seemingly weighed down by her personal expectations and outdoors strain at previous worlds and Olympics, Shiffrin by no means appeared in the least disturbed in Cortina.
“Day-after-day had one thing actually particular, and it’s one thing to smile about,” she mentioned.
One good second was this: Having simply seen her report streak of 4 straight slalom world titles ended by Austrian upstart Katharina Liensberger in emphatic vogue, Shiffrin was the primary racer to run over and congratulate the brand new champion.
“If this was final 12 months, I’d be possibly upset however not as grateful for the great moments within the day,” Shiffrin mentioned, referring to her practically two-second deficit behind Liensberger.
This season, although, is a special one for Shiffrin. She took a 10-month break from racing final 12 months after the loss of life of her father, Jeff Shiffrin, then had her comeback slowed by the coronavirus pandemic and a again damage.
No marvel she wasn’t about to decide to taking the identical, extra relaxed strategy to subsequent 12 months’s Beijing Olympics.
“I wish to,” she mentioned. “It simply completely relies on how subsequent season goes main as much as that. As a result of I can really feel wonderful now, with an excellent mentality after which that absolutely modifications. I really feel like this previous 12 months lasted like 20 years. So I don’t know what’s in retailer for the following 12 months. However I think about it’s going to be eventful.”
Having by no means earlier than entered so many races at a worlds or Olympics, Shiffrin leaves Cortina with gold in mixed, silver in large slalom and bronze in super-G and slalom.
Maybe much more outstanding is that Shiffrin has now medaled in 10 straight races at worlds — and in 11 of her 13 profession begins at her subsequent greatest occasion after the Olympics.
“I do have a secure now,” she mentioned. “So I’ll most likely put (the medals) in there. Or possibly cling them up.
“I wish to put the globes (the crystal globes for World Cup titles) round the home, as a result of they’re tremendous fairly. However folks ask to see the medals and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, positive, I’ll go get them.’ However in any other case it simply looks as if an entire lot of worth for me to presumably lose. So simply put them someplace the place you simply don’t contact it.”
Whereas Shiffrin confirmed spectacular pace final week in her first super-G race in additional than a 12 months, she gained’t be competing when the World Cup resumes subsequent weekend in close by Val di Fassa with two downhills and a super-G.
“No, I’ve acquired to go shave two seconds off my slalom,” she mentioned with a smile.
___
Related Press author Eric Willemsen contributed to this report.
___
Extra AP snowboarding: https://apnews.com/hub/snowboarding and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
___
Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf
[ad_2]
Source link
