Olympics

Defending Olympic champ Mikaela Shiffrin out of giant slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin of United States loses control and skis off course during the first run of the women's giant slalom at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) The Associated Press

By ANDREW DAMPF, Associated Press

February 6, 2022

BEIJING (AP) — Defending Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin missed a gate early in the first run of the giant slalom at the Beijing Games on Monday and was disqualified from the event.

Coming around a left-turn gate, she lost control, slid and fell on her side.

“I’m sorry that that was the performance I did today but that also happens.”

Mikaela Shiffrin reacts to her giant slalom race.

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The 26-year-old Shiffrin was trying to become the first Alpine ski racer from the United States to win three Olympic golds across a career.

She arrived in China as one of the most-watched athletes in any sport at the Winter Olympics, a superstar who has dominated ski racing for long stretches in recent years. She has said she hoped to enter all five individual events at Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center.

Her next race is the slalom on Wednesday. Shiffrin won that at age 18 at the 2014 Sochi Games.

Shiffrin has spoken openly about the pressure created by the weight of expectations — her own, of course, and those of fans, but also coaches, friends and family. She also is up-front about the burden of dealing with the accidental death of her father, Jeff, two years ago.

Her debut in Beijing was over quickly. She slipped and tried to right herself, but it was too late.

Eventually, Shiffrin got up and stopped on the side of the hill at the course known as The Ice River, stuck her poles in the snow and put her hands on her hips.

AP Sports Writer Daniella Matar and AP National Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.