DOWN BUT NOT OUT

U.S. Skiing Star Mikaela Shiffrin Wipes Out in Giant Slalom

The 26-year-old was trying to become the first alpine skier from the United States to clinch three gold medals at the Olympics.

Defending Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin’s first of five potential events in Beijing ended in disappointment Monday after she fell seconds into her opening run. Shiffrin appeared to get too far over her edges and came around a gate with little control, sliding and falling on her side. Righting herself, she skied over to the side of the hill for a few seconds, placing her hands on her hips and looking downhill. She was disqualified for the first time in more than three years, ending her 30-race streak in the discipline and her hopes of defending her title. Shortly after her fall, The New York Times characterized her as “by many accounts, the best skier in the world,” potentially felled by the icy conditions of the slope. The event was widely seen as Shiffrin’s chance to become the first alpine skier from the United States to clinch three gold medals at the Olympics. Shiffrin, who has three medals from two previous Games, has been open in the past about her struggles with the heavy expectations placed upon her and the enduring trauma of her father’s sudden, accidental death in 2020.