Shiffrin says past Olympic experiences will help her in Beijing

Alpine Snowboarding – Ski World Cup – Levi – Levi, Sirkka, Finland – November 20, 2021 Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. celebrates ending second within the ladies’s slalom Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva by way of REUTERS

Nov 24 (Reuters) – Two-times Olympic alpine snowboarding champion Mikaela Shiffrin stated she shall be extra snug with the burden of expectation on her shoulders at subsequent yr’s Beijing Olympics.

The 26-year-old slalom specialist went to Pyeongchang 2018 tipped as a possible gold medallist in a number of occasions however ended up with solely the large slalom title.

With the season beneath method and the main target inevitably falling on the looming Video games, the American will once more be one of many favourites in a number of disciplines.

It is going to be her third Video games having burst on to the scene on the Sochi Olympics the place she stormed to slalom gold, and the American stated she hopes to take earlier, very totally different, experiences into Beijing.

“It is modified through the years,” Shiffrin, talking to Eurosport’s Winter Go present, stated when requested what the Olympics meant to her. “Once I first began, my first Olympics… in fact I wished a gold medal.

“I assumed that was attainable. I did not actually see how huge it might be if that occurred till after.

“Then going into the second Olympics, in South Korea, I had a a lot better understanding of the way it works as an athlete while you win gold, how that may change your profession and the way far more consideration you get…

“But additionally extra expectations and stress from lots of people who do not essentially take note of your sport outdoors of the Olympics.”

Shiffrin stated the hype at Pyeongchang made her uncomfortable.

“It is much more stress to be there. So, I felt that within the second Olympics, and this time round it should be a mixture,” she stated.

Shiffrin has gained 45 World Cup slalom races, one behind the file for a single self-discipline owned by Swedish nice Ingemar Stenmark (big slalom).

Having been crushed by Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova in two slalom races in Levi, Finland, final weekend, Shiffrin can have one other probability to equal Stenmark in Killington this weekend.

“It is a house race and I wish to do nicely and have a very good file there. There’s some expectations, some stress, but it surely’s at all times thrilling to race in Killington,” Shiffrin stated.

Reporting by Martyn Herman; Modifying by Shrivathsa Sridhar

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