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First issues first for Mikaela Shiffrin: She is definite she desires to take part in each particular person ladies’s Alpine ski race on the Beijing Olympics.
The 26-year-old from Colorado additionally is aware of that was her intention for the final Winter Video games — and issues didn’t fairly work out in line with plan again then.
In order Shiffrin gears up for the beginning of the World Cup season this month, then appears to be like additional down the highway towards the journey to Asia in February, she is inspecting varied methods wherein she will beat her greatest for each. Meaning how she performs whereas on her skis, dashing down the aspect of a mountain, in fact, in addition to areas she will work on whereas away from the slopes.
“One thing I am dreaming about proper now’s to have the ability to compete in every occasion in China. However which means I’ve to do much more preparation, mentally,” Shiffrin mentioned from Austria on Friday, throughout a video convention with reporters. “Simply understanding how that’s going to have an effect on me mentally and bodily all through, primarily, the three weeks that we’re there.
“So it undoubtedly takes lots of my focus to assume: What are the containers now we have to verify, even completely exterior of snowboarding and approach and ways and the bodily aspect of issues? What are the containers we have to verify to guarantee that I’ve some consolation degree staying in a spot that I’ve by no means been earlier than for 3 weeks and coping with the jet lag and getting over that as quick as doable?”
Shiffrin owns three Olympic medals, two golds. She additionally has received 69 World Cup races — solely Ingemar Stenmark, with 86, and Lindsey Vonn, 82, have extra within the sport’s historical past — together with a trio of general titles.
Whereas cautious to notice some caveats, together with that she must ski properly sufficient to earn a spot on the U.S. group for the 5 particular person ladies’s Alpine occasions in Beijing, Shiffrin would like to be within the beginning gate every time; large slalom Feb. 7, slalom Feb. 9, super-G Feb. 11, downhill Feb. 15 and mixed Feb. 17.
Then once more, that was the concept on the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, too, earlier than weather-related rescheduling contributed to Shiffrin collaborating in three races. She left South Korea with a gold in large slalom, silver in mixed and a fourth-place end in slalom.
“I undoubtedly walked away with eyes huge open after that,” Shiffrin mentioned Friday.
“There’s an entire field of issues that we are able to unpack with simply, form of, Olympic preparations and the way how a lot I do care about placing in my greatest effort to make all occasions occur? But additionally figuring out that so many issues can change, not solely between every now and then, however simply between the beginning of the primary Olympic race to the tip of the Video games, that that plan may very, very simply change on the drop of a hat. So there’s that aspect of issues,” she mentioned. “And clearly, you go to the Olympics and hope for medals. That is the dream. … However then you’ve gotten the World Cup season.”
Sure, she will not be ignoring that.
When the calendar opens Oct. 23 in Sölden, Austria, Shiffrin will make it a degree to reside as much as what she known as “one other massive dream” — contending for the general trophy once more.
That wasn’t a chance final season, when she prevented pace races till the world championships after coming back from a 10-month hiatus caused by the dying of her father, the coronavirus pandemic and an injured again.
“There’s by no means going to be a assure that I can win it once more, and it is … actually laborious to say if that is even a sensible purpose for this season — or ever once more in my profession,” Shiffrin mentioned. “However I am attempting to place within the work to make {that a} chance.”
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