Mikaela-Shiffrin1

 

After her first run, 18 year old Mikaela led the field by .50 of a second. But Austria's Marlies Schild, (one of Shiffrin's slalom heros), lays down the fastest time of the day on the second run of the women's slalom event to take the lead.

Marlies, a veteran great has won a two silvers and a bronze in her career and the gold is now within her grasp. Shiffrin needs to ski even faster than her first run. She is fast out of the gate and halfway through the course Mikaela becomes unbalanced and her weight shifted back on her heels. The tails of her skis launch her forward but she is able to recover and skis the next turn on one foot. Will Brandenburg her ski team coach said, "She used a remarkable recovery move and gets right back into rhythm."

SECOND RUN

Shiffrin-Win-Gold

Mikaela's first run was so fast it literally nullified her earlier error which cost her six-tenths of a second. Her 2 runs combined snatch the gold and beats Schild by a half second.

It is not a surprise that Mikaela won the Slalom Gold, last year she was the Slalom World Champion. What is surprising is her young age. How does a 17 and now 18 year old possess so much poise, strength, technique and sheer determination? Ask her Mom, Mikaela's favorite coach.