Mikaela Shiffrin Message to Supporters After Super-G Loss
Mikaela Shiffrin Shares Powerful Message About Defeat: "The Girl Who Failed . . . Could Also Fly"
"I would never have expected to feel, in this moment...that humans could be so kind." ❤️ — On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 11, 2022
Mikaela Shiffrin shares her thoughts on the love & support she's received the past few days.#WinterOlympics | @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/6vCC3sApNz
With two disqualifications in the slalom and giant slalom in the 2022 Olympics, US alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin headed into the super-G event feeling excited and positive. Unfortunately, she didn't medal, but had a solid run, skiing with a time of 1:14:34, just 0.79 behind the winner. This earned her ninth place out 44 women.
After the race, 26-year-old Shiffrin said, "I proved to myself that I can still trust my instincts a bit, and that's really, really huge. And for all the people who have been sending me support, I can only say: Thank you." She has felt overwhelmed by the kindness people have shown her after "severely underperforming in an Olympics." Shiffrin said, "I never would have expected that. It's the most surprising thing of my Olympic experience is how kind people have been in the face of my failure." And although she feels sorry for her failure, she said, "I also was trying, and I'm proud of that."
This morning, Shiffrin shared a message to her supporters: "The girl who failed . . . could also fly." And reflecting on her super-G race, she said, "It's wonderful to train and compete alongside all of these courageous and incredible women, who have overcome so much in their life, just to get here. But being here can really hurt too. There's a lot of disappointment and heartbreak going around in the finish area, but there's also a lot of support." She said, "Sending my love to those who are feeling that striking hurt of defeat . . . only let it beat you down for a little bit, and then you stand up again and throw a few punches back."
"It's a lot to digest in just one event. . . let alone the whole rollercoaster ride of an entire Olympics," Shiffrin said. But she's hanging on tight, "cause we have plenty still to come. First DH training starts tomorrow!" She ended with, "Today was a good day, so I'm just gonna let it be that." We're looking forward to seeing her race on Monday, Feb. 14, at 10 p.m. ET.
