All eyes will be on Mikaela Shiffrin, unknown hill in Olympic Alpine – The Denver Post

After her first Winter Video games triumph as a teen in 2014, Mikaela Shiffrin gushed about “dreaming of the subsequent Olympics (and) profitable 5 gold medals” — which not solely didn’t occur, after all, however wasn’t even doable as a result of the American ended up not competing in each Alpine occasion 4 years later.

Now a veteran of 26, and well-established because the world’s prime all-around ski racer, Shiffrin goals to be within the beginning gate on the Beijing Olympics for the slalom, large slalom, super-G, downhill and mixed, together with perhaps even the combined crew parallel, in accordance with her coach.

She is aware of, although, that simply coming into every thing shall be a problem in itself, not to mention claiming a haul of medals so as to add to the 2 golds and one silver she has from previous Olympics, which go together with a half-dozen world championship golds and a trio of World Cup general titles.

“I’ve to do much more preparation, like, mentally — simply understanding how that’s going to have an effect on me mentally and bodily all through, basically, the three weeks that we’re there,” stated Shiffrin, the 2014 Olympic champion in slalom and 2018 champ in large slalom.

“So it undoubtedly takes plenty of my focus to assume: What are the bins we’ve got to test even completely exterior of, like, snowboarding and approach and ways and the bodily aspect of issues?” she stated. “What are the bins we have to test to be sure that I’ve some consolation stage 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, who’s from Colorado, continuously talks about what it’s going to take to keep away from feeling uncomfortable on, and even between, race days.

There’s a lot wrapped up in that space as she heads to her third Olympics, from the again spasms that restricted her preparation in November, to the bout with COVID-19 she skilled in late December, to her first “didn’t end” in a slalom in 4 years that got here in January, to the various stress elements she sounds comfy discussing and dissecting.

“If we’re doing our jobs, we shouldn’t must do something particular for her to really feel proper and for her to really feel snug. All the things that we are able to management, we’re controlling, and making an attempt to remain forward of each little factor, whether or not it’s ensuring she’s not strolling up too many stairs, whether or not it’s ensuring there usually are not too many steps in a day, ensuring there’s a diet choice that’s handy and useful or that she will eat in her room if the eating room is just too crowded. Or simply one other stressor,” stated Shiffrin’s coach, Mike Day. “In truth, you don’t wish to abruptly get to the Olympics and alter what you’re doing, proper?”

There’s extra, too, that comes with any Winter Video games, after all, however shall be of specific concern at these, together with a brand new and unseen course that no elite racer will attempt till Feb. 3, simply three days earlier than the boys’s downhill begins the Alpine schedule.

There’s additionally the ever-present ingredient of COVID-19 and the entire uncommon preparations and uncertainties that brings.

“It’s going to be a multitude,” U.S. racer Travis Ganong stated, “however we’ll determine it out.”