Yanqing, China Feb 9 (BUS): Michaela Shiffrin’s nightmare start to the Beijing Olympics continued on Wednesday as the American skied in the first round of the slalom, failing to finish the second race in a row.
The 26-year-old, who has dominated technical events in recent years, was knocked out of the competition after missing an early gate. She had also crashed in the first round of Monday’s giant slalom, Reuters reports.
“I was pushing and there was nowhere to slip a little bit… It feels like a huge disappointment,” Shiffrin told reporters.
“My entire career has taught me to trust skateboarding…when the pressure is high, the pressure is of course high, but that doesn’t seem to be the biggest problem today.
“It’s not the end of the world and it’s stupid to care that much but I feel like I should be wondering a lot now.”
The four-time world champion won the gold medal in slalom at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and finished fourth in Pyeongchang four years later.
Germany’s Lena Doerr, who leads the first half with a time of 52.17, said it was rare to see Shiffrin go out so quickly.
“It’s very unusual for Michaela to come out this early, also in the giant slalom and now in the slalom, something is clearly off,” she said.
“She’s won a lot and I know she’s clearly the favourite and I think that makes an impact, even on someone like Michaela.”
Shiffrin had headed to China with high expectations, with former teammates like Lindsey Vonn suggesting she could take the medal in all events.
Former Olympic champion Vaughn was quick to provide support for her compatriot.
She wrote on Twitter: “BREAKED FOR MikaelaShiffrin but that doesn’t take away from her career and what she can and will accomplish in the future. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!”
Shiffrin has earned two gold medals from her three Olympics so far – she won the giant slalom in Pyeongchang. She also has 73 career wins on the World Cup circuit.
While the slalom and giant slalom were her favorite events, Shiffrin still has a solid chance of winning the medal, and she can also choose to compete in sprints – downhill and super G.