POSITIVELY BLUESHIRT
Kreider returns to practice in non-contact jersey as improvement continues from December blood clot
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — After windy conditions delayed her ambitious Olympic schedule, Mikaela Shiffrin finally stepped into a pair of skis Thursday and gave the screaming crowd at Yongpyong Alpine Centre the sizzling performance it had hoped for, winning the giant slalom and capturing her first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games.
The win not only erased any doubts stemming from her recent struggles, but it heightened expectations for what could be a memorable Olympics. Shiffrin could race four more times in Pyeongchang and has a shot to join elite company here. Croatia’s Janica Kostelic is the only female skier to win three gold medals at a single Olympics.
In many ways, Thursday was just the opening act for Shiffrin. She became the first American to win the woman’s giant slalom at an Olympics since Julia Mancuso in 2006. Shiffrin, 22, needed a stellar final run to capture the gold; she actually trailed after the 81 competitors had made their first trips down the course.
In her six World Cup giant slalom wins, Shiffrin never had to come from behind to overtake the leader. On Thursday, she faced a two-tenths of a second deficit after the morning run but raced the second run 1.62 seconds faster than the first and posted a total time of 2:20.02 in the afternoon. The thrilling final run gave her a 0.39-second advantage over second-place Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway, who took silver with a total time of 2:20.41
Bad weather and windy conditions wreaked havoc on the Alpine schedule early in the week, but the skies were clear and the wind barely noticeable Thursday morning as skiers assembled at the top of the hill.