Mikaela Shiffrin is not off to a great start at the Winter Olympics. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was shockingly disqualified in Tuesday's women's slalom event after falling just seconds into her opening race. For the 26-year-old star, it is the exact same outcome she faced just two days prior in the giant slalom event.
After Tuesday's fall, Shiffrin –- who won gold in the slalom at the Sochi Olympics –- sat solemnly with her head bowed in one of the 2022 Olympics' most heartbreaking moments thus far.
That is absolutely devastating for Mikaela Shiffrin pic.twitter.com/9PqiGe3yxl
— D'Arcy Maine (@darcymaine_espn) February 9, 2022
When Shiffrin fell in Sunday's giant slalom, it erased the possibility of her winning the event in consecutive Olympics. The Colorado native still has a chance at repeating in the alpine combined, an event in which she earned silver at during the Pyeongchang Games.
"I'm sorry that that was the performance I did today but that also happens."
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 7, 2022
Mikaela Shiffrin reacts to her giant slalom race.
📺 NBC and @peacockTV
💻 https://t.co/XbQPOeX2QY pic.twitter.com/LNhHu6Yzna
With Shiffrin planning to compete in all five individual events at Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center at these Beijing Games, she can still become the first American alpine ski racer to win three Olympic golds in one Games. Her margin for error, however, is diminishing.
Shiffrin will likely return to action on Friday for the super-G, an event she won at the 2019 world championship but has yet to try at the Olympic level.
