'What’s the point?' - Mikaela Shiffrin hints at early Winter Olympics exit after slalom heartbreak

ByBen Southby

Updated 09/02/2022 at 10:29 GMT

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Beijing Games are in doubt after the four-time world champion skied herself out of contention in her opening two events. She was aiming for gold in all five individual events at the Games, but is considering an early exit: “I have never been in this position before and I don't know how to handle it,” she said. Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+

Mikaela Shiffrin has hinted she is considering her participation in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, after crashing out in the first round of the giant slalom before doing likewise in her opening slalom run on Wednesday.

The four-time world champion - and three-time overall World Cup winner - has hinted at an early Olympics exit, casting doubt on her remaining events which include the super-G, the downhill and the alpine combined.

Speaking after her DNF finish, she said: "If I am going to ski out on the fifth gate, what's the point?

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"I will try to re-set again. Maybe try to re-set better this time but I also don't know how to do better because I just don't.

I have never been in this position before and I don't know how to handle it."

The 26-year-old admitted she favoured the giant slalom and slalom events over her remaining individual competitions still to come, and was disappointed not to see all her hard work come to fruition.

“We came all this way. We’re not done yet but those were my biggest focuses, so it really feels like a lot of work for nothing,” she added.

“(People) will try to say, 'this happens’ and 'it’s OK’ and 'don’t be too hard on yourself’ and all of that, but it is a lot of work for a grand total of five gates in the GS and five gates in the slalom. So that is not lost on me.”

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

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Speaking to Eurosport, Shiffrin admitted she’d questioned where it all went wrong as she sat next to the track alone in disbelief after her disqualification.

“I just wanted to take a pause and try to process or understand what I did wrong.

‘I have definitely been better’ – Shiffrin questions mentality after slalom blunder

“Not really on that turn but in general, but what I did wrong during the day, or during the weeks or during the years or whatever.

I had a mentality that I actually thought would be quite strong today, but ended up being totally the opposite.

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

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Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+

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