Mikaela Shiffrin’s quest for more Olympic medals begins now

Mikaela Shiffrin’s quest for extra Olympic medals, and possibly U.S. history, will start on protection.

The dominant American slalom skier, who will try to compete in all 5 alpine snowboarding occasions on the Beijing Winter Olympics, will get began on Monday (Sunday evening state-side) when she tries to defend her gold medal within the large slalom.

Shiffrin, 26, who received gold within the large slalom 4 years in the past in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is aware of she has a difficult course and gusty winds to face this time round, along with rival Petra Vlhova of Slovakia.

“There’s going to be an enormous ingredient of simply crossing your fingers in these Video games,” Shiffrin informed reporters after testing out the slopes in Yanqing on Friday, per Reuters. “It’s among the steepest terrain I’ve ever skilled in my life.

“Ideally no one goes to face one of many actually massive gusts once you practically get blown off the mountain. Snowboarding pace once you’re getting air off terrain … that turns into not solely difficult but in addition very harmful.”

The enormous slalom, which is able to function two runs (the primary set starting at 9:15 p.m. EST on Sunday) is the primary occasion on Shiffrin’s busy schedule at these Olympics. She can be anticipated to race within the slalom on Wednesday, the Tremendous G on Friday, the downhill on Feb. 15 and the mixed on Feb. 17. Shiffrin deliberate to race in all 5 occasions in 2018 earlier than wind-related postponements compacted the schedule and restricted her to 3 occasions.

Comply with all of the 2022 Olympics motion

Along with profitable gold within the large slalom in Pyeongchang, Shiffrin additionally received silver within the 2018 mixed and gold within the 2014 slalom in Sochi, Russia. She is a favourite to carry house extra medals from Beijing — and only one extra gold would give her probably the most of any American Olympic alpine skier. Shiffrin’s two golds are at present tied with Ted Ligety and Andrea Mead Lawrence.

“There’s going to be some degree of disappointment if I stroll away with no medal, however I don’t suppose it’s attainable to stroll away with out some degree of disappointment about one thing,” Shiffrin mentioned. “It’s not possible to have an ideal two weeks.”

Since Shiffrin final skied within the Olympics, she has handled heartbreak off the slope. Her father, Jeff, died in February 2020 from accidents sustained in an accident. Shiffrin took a break from snowboarding after her father’s loss of life after which missed occasions because of the pandemic and a again damage, however finally returned to racing that November, when she positioned second to Vlhova in a world cup slalom occasion.

Now, days faraway from the two-year anniversary of her father’s loss of life, Shiffrin will start her first Olympic journey with out him.

“However, I imply, I like being right here,” Shiffrin mentioned, in keeping with Yahoo Sports activities. “To be trustworthy, I truly do really feel good.”

Shiffrin will hope to duplicate her efficiency from the 2021 World Championships, when she got here house with 4 medals — a gold within the mixed, a silver within the large slalom and bronze in each the slalom and the Tremendous G.

To be able to make that occur, she must keep away from the nagging again damage that has precipitated her some bother of late — along with battling the circumstances in Yanqing.
“If you wish to get a medal right here, it’s a must to ski nicely as a result of the floor is legit, the hills usually are not straightforward. It’s going to require snowboarding that’s actually on level,” Shiffrin mentioned. “Success is getting right here and getting by it.”