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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 goal for the final Winter Video games — and issues didn’t fairly work out in accordance 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 street towards the journey to Asia in February, she is analyzing numerous methods by which she will be able to beat her finest for each. Meaning how she performs whereas on her skis, rushing down the facet of a mountain, after all, in addition to areas she will be able to work on whereas away from the slopes.
“One thing I’m dreaming about proper now could be to have the ability to compete in every occasion in China. However which means I’ve to do much more preparation, mentally,” Shiffrin stated 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 positively takes numerous my focus to suppose: What are the packing containers we’ve to verify, even completely outdoors of snowboarding and method and techniques and the bodily facet of issues? What are the packing containers we have to verify to make it possible for 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 gained 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 effectively sufficient to earn a spot on the U.S. crew for the 5 particular person ladies’s Alpine occasions in Beijing, Shiffrin would like to be within the beginning gate every time; big 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 taking part in three races. She left South Korea with a gold in big slalom, silver in mixed and a fourth-place end in slalom.
“I positively walked away with eyes large open after that,” Shiffrin stated Friday.
“There’s an entire field of issues that we are able to unpack with simply, kind of, Olympic preparations and the way how a lot I do care about placing in my finest effort to make all occasions occur? But additionally figuring out that so many issues can change, not solely between from time to time, however simply between the beginning of the primary Olympic race to the top of the Video games, that that plan might very, very simply change on the drop of a hat. So there’s that facet of issues,” she stated. “And clearly, you go to the Olympics and hope for medals. That’s the dream. … However then you’ve the World Cup season.”
Sure, she is just not ignoring that.
When the calendar opens Oct. 23 in Sölden, Austria, Shiffrin will make it some extent to dwell as much as what she known as “one other massive dream” — contending for the general trophy once more.
That wasn’t a risk final season, when she prevented pace races till the world championships after getting back from a 10-month hiatus led to by the demise of her father, the coronavirus pandemic and an injured again.
“There may be by no means going to be a assure that I can win it once more, and it’s … actually onerous to say if that’s even a sensible aim for this season — or ever once more in my profession,” Shiffrin stated. “However I’m attempting to place within the work to make {that a} risk.”
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