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By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Nationwide Author
BEIJING — Mikaela Shiffrin got here to the Beijing Olympics as one of many largest stars of Alpine snowboarding – or any sport. She is going to go away with none particular person medals after managing to complete simply two of the 5 ladies’s races.
Shiffrin’s newest mistake of the Winter Video games got here Thursday (Wednesday night time PT) within the second leg of the mixed, which provides the occasions from one downhill run and one slalom run. The American stood fifth after the downhill, definitely in rivalry for a better end, however she encountered bother after about 10 seconds, missed a gate and ended up touchdown on her hip.
After falling, Shiffrin sat for just a few moments within the snow alongside the course. When she finally rose, she shook her head, then regarded up on the hill, as if making an attempt to determine precisely the place issues went incorrect.
On at the present time – and on others over the previous 1½ weeks.
It was fairly just like what occurred in every of her first two occasions in China: the large slalom on Feb. 7, and the slalom on Feb. 9. She didn’t end these, both, which was notably beautiful as a result of they’re her finest occasions and since she is lauded by different skiers, previous and current, for her method and skill to finish the programs.
“Oh, man, I don’t know if anyone has failed that tough with so many alternatives perhaps within the historical past of the Olympics,” Shiffrin stated in an interview on NBC following the race. “However I’ll take it. I imply, it’s a joke. That’s effective. I simply actually selfishly needed to have a great run of slalom down this hill, and I’ll be left wanting there.”
Swiss skier Michele Gisin gained the mixed for her second consecutive gold within the occasion; Shiffrin was the runner-up to her 4 years in the past. Switzerland is the primary nation to win 5 Alpine golds at one Olympics.
Gisin’s teammate, Wendy Holdener, was subsequent, greater than a second again, for the silver on Thursday, whereas Federica Brignone of Italy obtained the bronze.
Shiffrin claimed gold within the slalom on the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the large slalom on the 2018 Pyeongchang Video games.
However none of that type of top-level expertise or big-moment gumption was on show on the Nationwide Alpine Snowboarding Middle within the brown, craggy mountains of Yanqing zone about 55 miles northwest of central Beijing.
Along with ending up with “Did Not End” subsequent to her identify on three outcomes sheets, the proprietor of three total World Cup titles was ninth within the super-G final Friday, then 18th within the downhill on Tuesday.
On Thursday, nevertheless, she utilized her expertise on the downhill from earlier within the week, in addition to the quickest run in coaching on Wednesday, and recorded the fifth-best time (1:32.98) in that self-discipline of the Alpine mixed. A medal appeared possible, even perhaps probably.
However Shiffrin had doubts. She was candid in an interview with NBC earlier than the slalom leg about how she was feeling coming into what has lengthy been thought-about her signature occasion.
“I’m not feeling completely assured with the slalom,” Shiffrin stated. “I imply, I’ve a recurring picture of myself snowboarding out on the fifth gate once more, so I’m simply going to do my finest.”
Shiffrin has stated she plans to seem in a sixth race on Saturday, when the Alpine schedule concludes with a workforce occasion that was added to the Olympics 4 years in the past.
The slalom course was set by Mike Day, Shiffrin’s fundamental coach with the U.S. ski workforce, however that didn’t assist her one bit this time in an occasion that has been by far her finest for years.
She gained a gold medal in that self-discipline at age 18 in 2014, and her 47 profession World Cup slalom victories are greater than every other racer has gained in any self-discipline.
Following the mixed race, Shiffrin was nonetheless capable of put her Olympic expertise in perspective, as she has carried out all through her time in Beijing.
“I feel there’s numerous optimistic, and numerous optimistic even in my snowboarding,” Shiffrin stated on the printed. “I had some actually nice – a few of the finest snowboarding I’ve ever carried out right here in Beijing, within the coaching, within the downhill during the last week, in my slalom, even right now. Within the race, within the second, when it counts, then I didn’t make it to the end, and that’s by no means occurred in my total profession, so I don’t perceive it. However there was a lot optimistic that’s occurred within the final couple weeks regardless of how a lot it actually stinks.
“I don’t know, generally you simply need to take it, I assume. Attempt to repair it the following time. I don’t know what I’m supposed to repair. That’s the irritating factor. I don’t suppose there’s one thing to repair. It simply went actually, actually incorrect.”
AP Sports activities Writers Andrew Dampf and Daniella Matar contributed to this report.
“There was a lot optimistic that is occurred within the final couple weeks.”
Mikaela Shiffrin displays on her #WinterOlympics expertise. @OnHerTurf pic.twitter.com/NnLp7g6BHr
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2022
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