Mikaela Shiffrin adds team event to Olympic schedule and feels ‘pretty good’ after ‘tricky’ downhill at Beijing 2022

Updated 16/02/2022 at 05:05 GMT

Double Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin recorded DNFs in the slalom and giant slalom, but bounced back to finish ninth in the super-G before coming 18th in the downhill. The American has two more events on the list at Beijing 2022, with the alpine skier set to take part in the mixed team parallels on Saturday, which falls two days after the combined event.

‘I’ve learned a lot’ - Shiffrin adds team event to Olympic schedule

Mikaela Shiffrin confirmed she will compete in Saturday’s mixed team event after finishing the "tricky" downhill in 18th at the Winter Olympics.

The two-time Olympic champion cast her future appearances at these Games in doubt when crashing out of contention in both the slalom and giant slalom.

However, the American bounced back to finish ninth in the super-G before turning her attention to the downhill at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre.

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Finshing 2.49 seconds off the winning time, with Corrine Suter pipping rival Sofia Goggia to gold, Shiffrin spoke of her admiration for the top downhill skiers after revealing she would take part in the mixed team parallels on top of going in the combined event on Thursday.

“I’m going to do the team event as well, so four out of six races!” she said.

“I feel pretty good, it’s a little bit tricky in downhill because I can feel the speed and can feel some sections are really smooth, good and aggressive.”

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“But sometimes I’m a bit too harsh on the edges, and I’m not doing enough with my skis. It’s a little bit hard for me to find my perfect balance there, but it’s pretty incredible to watch all of these other ladies skiing down – especially the top girls.”

Shiffrin had admitted after the super-G that the Games were not going how she had expected or hoped, but the American is still eager to learn with two more events to come.

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She added: “It’s just impressive and I feel like over the last couple of days I’ve learned a lot. I still feel there’s a lot to learn, but all in all I’ve done okay processing everything.

“I’d like to clean up that first top section, it’s not supposed to be a jump but I keep jumping it! I’ll have to fix that, but it’s pretty tricky.”

Nick Fellows said on Eurosport commentary after the interview: “She is just so wonderfully honest and open about her feelings, about her performances.

“She knows she’s had a nightmare coming in as the hot favourite for the double gold in the slalom and giant slalom, she didn’t even get past the sixth gate in either of those first runs but here she is in the finish area being wonderfully open and polite, and just wanting to get better.”

Co-commentator Emma Carrick-Anderson added: “She’s incredibly resilient. She’s pushed through so many hard times over the last couple of years, she’s going to come out stronger for sure.”