Fri, Feb 18, 2022 page16

• Gisin takes gold as Shiffrin fails again

  ‘IT STILL DIDN’T WORK’: Mikaela Shiffrin of the US was a strong favorite for the event, but for the third time at the Beijing Games she was unable to finish the course

  • Reuters, YANQING, China
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  Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin yesterday retained her Olympic title in the women’s combined as Mikaela Shiffrin of the US yet again failed to finish.

  Gisin won gold with a total time of 2 minutes, 25.67 seconds, a comfortable 1.05 seconds ahead of compatriot Wendy Holdener.

  Italy’s Federica Brignone finished in the bronze medal position.

  

  Michelle Gisin of Switzerland competes in the Winter Games Alpine skiing women’s combined slalom at the National Alpine Skiing Center in Yanqing, China, yesterday.

  Photo: Reuters

  Shiffrin was a strong favorite for the event, even after her ill-fated performances at these Games, but for the third time in Beijing her name had the letters “DNF” — Did Not Finish — next to it.

  She was placed as fifth-fastest after the morning’s downhill leg, but returning to the “Ice River” course, where she had skied out in both the giant slalom and slalom, Shiffrin missed a gate and incredibly skied off the course yet again.

  “I didn’t make it to the finish again, and like 60 percent of my DNF rate has happened at this Olympic Games,” Shiffrin said.

  

  Mikaela Shiffrin of the US reacts to falling in the Winter Games Alpine skiing women’s combined slalom in Yanqing, China, yesterday.

  Photo: AP

  “I didn’t feel pressure there. I mean there is always pressure, but I just felt loose and relaxed and like I knew my plan, focused and good skiing — I was doing it and it still didn’t work. That is what it is,” she said.

  Six-time world champion Shiffrin was widely expected to add significantly to her career medal tally at these Games.

  She won gold in giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games after winning the slalom title at the 2014 Sochi Games. She also claimed the silver medal in the combined four years ago.

  Shiffrin has competed in every individual event in Beijing, but her results have been way below all expectations.

  She was only able to complete the speed events, finishing ninth in the super-G and 18th in the downhill.

  Shiffrin borrowed Sofia Goggia’s skis for yesterday’s downhill leg and said she “almost started crying” at the message left by the Italian.

  Goggia, who won downhill gold in Pyeongchang and earned silver behind Switzerland’s Corinne Suter in Wednesday’s downhill, shares the same ski manufacturer as the American.

  Shiffrin said that the skis were the same ones that Goggia has been using at Beijing and that in the starting hut, she spotted a note placed on them.

  “She actually wrote a small message on them, on a sticky note. I saw it in the start and I almost started crying, because it was: ‘You can Fly on these skis,’ or something,” Shiffrin said.

  “I am thankful I was able to get a feeling on those and just trying to fly as best I could,” she said.
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