Dodging nerves, skier Shiffrin vows to enjoy ride
NEW YORK, Oct 11, (AP): On particularly stressful occasions, Mikaela Shiffrin can feel the anxiety build moments before her run. Her throat tightens, and her eyes water. Her suit feels way too tight, and her stomach churns.
As a teenager, the two-time defending overall World Cup champion never experienced this level of nervousness before a race. Lately, that pressure has sometimes engulfed her. It first struck two years ago at an event and she thought it was just the flu. The feeling has overtaken her during several more races, including the Olympic slalom at the Pyeongchang Games last February when she finished fourth.
This season, she’s trying something new after talking to a friend who doubles as a sports psychologist: Tune out expectations, enjoy the ride.
“If I’m thinking about whatever everybody is expecting, it ruins it and that’s silly,” the three-time Olympic medalist said in a phone interview ahead of the World Cup season-opening giant slalom race on Oct 27 in Soelden, Austria. “I’m taking a minute to appreciate where I actually am in the sport.”
The 23-year-old from Avon, Colorado, is coming off a season in which she won 12 races on her way to a second straight overall title. She earned two medals in South Korea, including gold in the giant slalom and silver during the combined.
Recently, she got to meet tennis standout Roger Federer . Now that was nerve-wracking. “I was sweaty and my hands were clammy,” she laughed. “He’s so cool.”
For the upcoming season, she’s taking on another role – leader.
In years past, she hasn’t spent all that much time with the downhill team since she also had to fit in slalom and giant slalom training. But she recently attended a speed camp with the US squad in Chile, joining the likes of Laurenne Ross, Alice Merryweather and for a brief time Lindsey Vonn, who begins this season five wins away from breaking Ingemar Stenmark’s record for most by a World Cup ski racer.
The group shared tips and tactics, something Shiffrin has been reluctant to do in the past because she didn’t view herself as a speed racer. That changed with a downhill win in Lake Louise, Alberta, last December.
No more basic course reports relayed up the mountain to teammates.
“I would call up and be like, ‘Everything is great. The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. Have a good time,’” Shiffrin said. “I didn’t want to say anything that could possibly be misinterpreted. Now I feel more comfortable with my speed knowledge and experience.” Mention the Olympics and she audibly exhales. At the Pyeongchang Games, Shiffrin was the favorite to win not one, but multiple medals. Especially in the slalom, which she captured at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
She embraced the pressure. Then, the weather played havoc with the Olympic schedule and led to changes. Nerves crept in. Shiffrin started things off strong by taking gold in the giant slalom. The next day was the slalom, her signature event. The anxiety struck and she threw up before her first run. In the second pass, she was too cautious and finished a spot off the podium in a race won by Frida Hansdotter of Sweden. Shiffrin had nothing left in the tank, not even emotions.