Mikaela Shiffrin: US star crashes out for the second time in slalom to leave Winter Olympics in tatters

ByJames Kilpatrick

Updated 09/02/2022 at 09:15 GMT

It's another nightmare for Mikaela Shiffrin. After crashing out of the giant slalom on Monday she has registered another DNF just seconds into her first run in the slalom where she was aiming to win the Olympic gold in the discipline for the second time in her decorated career. The American was visibly devastated after crashing out. Lena Duerr leads after the first run with Petra Vlhova in eighth.

Mikaela Shiffrin has crashed out of the slalom after her first run at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre.

Shiffrin was the seventh skier down the slope, bidding to win her second Olympic slalom gold medal - but just like the giant slalom she crashed out after four gates.

"I was pushing out of the start. I had full intentions of skiing as hard as I could," the 26-year-old said afterwards.

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"I slipped up a little bit on one turn and I just didn't give myself room to make any kind of error like that. I was planning to go on the most aggressive line, the most challenging line to ski.

"But I also know it's the fastest. I didn't make it past five gates, so I guess that's what happened."

She said she felt "pretty awful", but added: "But it won't feel awful for ever. I just feel pretty low right now."

Shiffrin told Eurosport: "I just want to take a pause and try to process and understand what I really did wrong. Not really on that turn but just in general what I did wrong during the day, weeks, years or whatever.

‘Same mistake!’ – Shiffrin crashes out again after nightmare in slalom

"But when I had a mentality where I thought I'd be strong today it ended up being totally the opposite."

Shiffrin will compete in three more events in Beijing. The super-G on Friday, followed by the downhill on Monday and the nordic combined on February 17.

"What was a shame a few days ago was a nightmare today," Eurosport's Nick Fellows said on commentary.

"Serious psychological issues and problems for Shiffrin. She cannot get those skis to work on this snow."

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"No words there, goodness me. Poor, poor Shiffrin," Emma Carrick-Anderson added.

"[It was] very similar to the giant slalom. She just came in and was a bit too direct, got the feet caught together and the clips hit the snow.

"It looked like was she went a little bit late on one gate. Then on the next one went to take a big angle too late and got caught with the feet together."

‘Understandably emotional’ – Shiffrin cuts desolate figure on slopes after crashing out again

DUERR LEADS AFTER FIRST RUN

Lena Duerr

Image credit: Getty Images

Germany's Lena Duerr went down the course first and she produced what would prove to be the fastest time of 52.17 seconds.

PyeongChang 2018 Alpine combined champion Michelle Gisin was fourth up and finished second. She had a clean run, but lost a bit of tempo in the final section but was visibly pleased with her time of 52.20.

Sweden's Sara Hector, who won gold in the giant slalom on Monday, produced another fine run of 52.29 to finish third.

Petra Vlhova, who came a disappointing 14th in the giant slalom, had a poor run in the number two bib. The Slovakian skiied too heavily, drifting out too much on every turn and registered a time of 52.89 to rank eighth.

Austria's Katharina Liensberger slowed up on the fast course midway through and finished seventh in 52.83.

Wendy Holdener, the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic slalom silver medallist, was a bit too aggressive on the snow that has proved difficult for so many racers and finished in 52.65 seconds to rank fifth.

British number one Charlie Guest started brightly and had the measure of the difficult snow conditions. She was 1.67 seconds off the lead and came 15th.

Fellow Brit Alex Tilley, who came 21st in the giant slalom, did not get off to the best start. She looked to find her rhythm but then crashed out in the middle section.

The second run of the women's slalom is at 05:45 GMT.

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