via Getty
YANQING, CHINA – FEBRUARY 07: Mikaela Shiffrin of Team United States is unable to finish her run during the Women’s Giant Slalom on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Alpine Ski Centre on February 07, 2022 in Yanqing, China. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
via Getty
YANQING, CHINA – FEBRUARY 07: Mikaela Shiffrin of Team United States is unable to finish her run during the Women’s Giant Slalom on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Alpine Ski Centre on February 07, 2022 in Yanqing, China. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
The sensational Mikaela Shiffrin looks to have found her mojo back. She has improved upon her performances as compared to her last four events in the Alpine skiing combined competitions. Posting the fastest time during the downhill training session, she finished fifth in the downhill event. With the slalom event to start soon, Shiffrin hopes to get back to winning ways. The secret to her success- a fresh pair of skis.
Shiffrin is a heavy packer, carrying around 60 skis to the Beijing Winter Olympics. But ditching her own skis to use Sofia Goggia’s thunder skis seemingly proved to be the difference. Or did it?
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Mikaela Shiffrin uses a new pair of skis
Back in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, she brought in 35 pairs of skis to use in active competitions. The logistics involved are somewhat unthinkable, but it’s good to prepare yourself for the worst. She has outdone herself in this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics by carrying 60 pairs of skis.
Out of all those 60 pairs, not even one ski helped her to display her talents. But, an Italian skier and silver medalist at this year’s Olympics downhill competition, offered her support.
Mikaela Shiffrin brought SIXTY pairs of skis to the #WinterOlympics 😳 pic.twitter.com/tjNDoID919
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 17, 2022
She handed over a pair of skis that might have helped her to get out of a slump. That might prove to be a modern-day miracle. Shiffrin finished 5th in the downhill event of the women’s combined competition. Hence, moments like these deserve plaudit, as Shiffrin improved from her previous four events.
A comeback on the cards?
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The women’s combined competition consists of one run in the downhill competitions while having a slalom run to match. The total points of these two competitions determines the winner. In the first downhill run, Shiffrin set a time of 1:32.98 and ranks fifth. The two-time Olympic gold medalist has a race to watch out for as she would hope to regain her gold medal runs in the previous two Olympics, to fetch a victory.
2022 downhill silver medalist @goggiasofia left a note for @MikaelaShiffrin (along with her downhill skis) that read, “FLY MIKA, YOU CAN.” When she saw the note, Mikaela almost started crying. ❤️🙏#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/9dD2KIdNAf
— U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) February 17, 2022
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Thus, as the bright skies shine above her head, Shiffrin hopes to get back to winning ways. Earlier, she mentioned a tweet where Sofia helped her with her skis. So were her faulty skis to blame at the beginning of the Beijing Winter Olympics?
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