Beijing Olympics spotlight: Mikaela Shiffrin looking to ‘roll with the punches’ as she targets alpine skiing history

Mikaela Shiffrin is a skier on a mission. At her third Winter Olympics, the US star is concentrating on 5 occasions in what she calls a “very aggressive sport plan” – it may make her a legend.

The 26-year-old is arguably the largest identify heading to Beijing, particularly now that ice hockey gamers from the NHL is not going to be concerned in China. By the top of the Video games, she may very well be essentially the most profitable feminine alpine skier in Olympic historical past – and presumably equal the all-time document throughout males’s and ladies’s occasions.

She must go some to do it – however this can be a very particular athlete. Shiffrin is making an attempt to compete in all 5 particular person occasions: large slalom, slalom, downhill, super-G and mixed. If the three-time medallist will get on the rostrum in all of them, she is going to equal the eight received by Kjetil Andre Aamodt. She wants three to match the ladies’s document of six medals claimed by Janica Kostelic and Anja Parson.

It has been a troublesome few years for the American since successful large slalom gold and mixed silver at Pyeongchang 2018, after her father Jeff tragically died from a head harm he sustained in an accident in 2020. At one level, she questioned whether or not carrying on together with her snowboarding profession was actually price it.

“There was a very very long time that I didn’t actually really feel prefer it was price it to care about something,” she advised NBC’s At the moment programme within the US.

“It appeared like I’m not going to go ski race once more as a result of essentially the most elementary factor of an athlete is that you need to care about your sport and you need to care about doing properly at your sport, and I simply didn’t.

“I simply thought I don’t care about truly actually something in life. It’s been a protracted course of to get that motivation and really the sensation of caring again. Much more good days than unhealthy now, nevertheless it’s nonetheless troublesome.”

Shiffrin is setting the game alight once more nevertheless it has not been straightforward this 12 months. Like many athletes, she has missed occasions because of Covid-19, however the true query about whether or not she will problem in all 5 occasions in Beijing is how her physique holds up, after fighting a again harm close to the top of final 12 months.

In the beginning of November, Shiffrin spoke about her “irritating” subject. “I take a day, after which I am like, ‘All proper, possibly it is ok; I can exit and ski.′ After which I’m going out and ski and I take just a few turns, and I am like, ‘Ow. It is actually painful.”

The excellent news for Shiffrin is that she seems to have gotten that out of her system, having recorded two podium finishes in back-to-back large slalom World Cup occasions in Courchevel simply earlier than Christmas, together with victory within the first of them.

In her first occasion since coming back from Covid – and her opening race of Olympic 12 months – she then completed second within the slalom occasion in Zagreb to retain her total lead. Not unhealthy for a skier who had been in isolation for per week and was solely allowed to return out of it sooner or later earlier than the race.

Shiffrin is on the verge of greatness heading into Beijing and she or he is already closing in on rival Lindsey Vonn’s document of 82 World Cup race wins, which she is going to certainly obtain sooner moderately than later as she sits simply 10 behind her fellow American.

This season alone, she has received three World Cups – the large slalom in Soelden and Courchevel and the slalom in Killington and been on the rostrum an additional six occasions.

With slightly below a month to go till the Winter Olympics start, Shiffrin appears to be like in fine condition to problem in all occasions. Having already examined constructive for coronavirus, she can be unlucky if that had been to derail her once more – now it’s nearly holding herself wholesome. If she does, it’s potential we’re about to see one thing very particular.