BEIJING (AP) 鈥� The on-the-slopes portion of what Mikaela Shiffrin hopes will be a 鈥渞eset鈥� at the Beijing Olympics 鈥� moving on from 鈥� began under a cloudless sky with a pair of trips about a half-hour apart down the competition hill during an official training session Thursday for the upcoming super-G.
Wearing a maroon racing helmet, bright red reflective goggles and a white racing suit with 鈥淯SA鈥� on the front in blue capital letters, the two-time Olympic gold medalist eased across the finish line each time, upright instead of in a speed-preserving tuck. After the first, she paused briefly to chat with two other racers. After the second, she swiftly made her way past a gathering of about a dozen folks and was on her way.
All of that was clear to anyone present. Less certain right there and then: How Shiffrin is faring with her off-the-slopes attempt to get over those sudden and surprising exits in her best disciplines.
What become known via the U.S. ski team a few hours later, though, was that Shiffrin will, indeed, take part in the super-G on Friday as the women move from the technical to the speed events. That will be her third start of what still could end up being a six-race trip to China.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to accept what happened, but she has to work through it. And one of the better ways to do that is to keep looking forward. She has multiple events here, which is great for her,鈥� U.S. head women鈥檚 Alpine coach Paul Kristofic said. 鈥淵ou have to look at what鈥檚 in front of you and try to put what鈥檚 behind you to rest, as difficult as that is.鈥�
Kristofic said Thursday's practice 鈥渨ent well.鈥�
Shiffrin, a 26-year-old from Colorado, never has entered a super-G at an Olympics, but she did win it at the 2019 world championships.
鈥淏eing outside and switching events and doing something different 鈥� it鈥檚 a different impulse, for sure, in speed, and it鈥檚 a good feeling to be out here and pushing and skiing well,鈥� Kristofic said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of the process to get through it.鈥�
Shiffrin's boyfriend, Norwegian skier Aleskander Aamodt Kilde, described her as being 鈥渋n a good state; she鈥檚 all right."
鈥淪he鈥檚 a hero and she can handle this. She handles pressure like no one else, and this is something she will come out of,鈥� said Kilde, who won a silver Thursday in Alpine combined. "But it鈥檚 been a couple of tough days.鈥�
A U.S. ski team spokeswoman said Thursday that Shiffrin and her mother, Eileen, who also serves as a coach, would not 鈥渂e doing any media for the foreseeable future.鈥�
Shiffrin spoke at length to reporters Wednesday, when her opening leg of slalom (which she won at the 2014 Olympics) ended after about five seconds, (which she won at the 2018 Olympics) had lasted Monday.
鈥淚 will try to reset again, and maybe try to reset better this time,鈥� Shiffrin said after the slalom.
鈥淏ut I also don鈥檛 know how to do better because,鈥� she continued, and then paused, before adding, 鈥渂ecause I just don鈥檛.鈥�
came so quickly, and seemingly so easily, for Shiffrin.
On a World Cup podium at age 16. A world champion at 17. An Olympic gold medalist at 18. And the accolades kept on coming for the American, who now is 26: A second Winter Games gold, along with a silver. Six world championships in all. Three overall World Cup titles. A total of 47 World Cup slalom wins, more than any other athlete in any event, ever.
That鈥檚 why her start in China is so difficult for everyone to comprehend, including her.
鈥淚t is strange to see. But it also makes her human. It makes her more like all of us 鈥� because, sometimes, you ask yourself whether she actually is. She鈥檚 so precise, so strong mentally, that you ask yourself whether what she does is even possible,鈥� said Federica Brignone of Italy, who won a silver in the giant slalom this week and a bronze behind Shiffrin in that race four years ago. 鈥淪he鈥檚 an athlete who has won so much, but maybe she was too stressed out."
In the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, she was all-too-aware of 鈥� from within, from fans, from coaches, friends and family.
Kristofic raised that topic when asked to explain what might have gone wrong with Shiffrin鈥檚 skiing so far.
鈥淢ikaela has her technical cues, and obviously they work. In a big event like this, the pressure is something that most of us aren鈥檛 able to comprehend, especially when you鈥檙e a medal favorite, or a gold medal favorite, for multiple events. That鈥檚 the piece that鈥檚 hard for anyone else, other than the actual person in it, to really wrap your head around,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat kind of pressure is not the easiest thing to manage and it can manifest in physical ways.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf contributed to this report.
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Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
