"There was so much positive that's happened in the last couple weeks."

Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on her #WinterOlympics [1] experience. @OnHerTurf [2] pic.twitter.com/NnLp7g6BHr [3]

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2022 [4]

US skier Mikaela Shiffrin failed to finish the slalom leg [5] of the Alpine combined race at the 2022 Olympics, her last individual event. She entered her signature event in fifth place after an impressive downhill run, hoping to get a medal. Unfortunately, her ski caught about the tenth gate of her run and she fell, ruining her chances of reaching the podium.

This was her third fall in Beijing and another heartbreaking loss as Shiffrin had previously skied out of the women's giant slalom competition [6], was disqualified from the slalom [7], and didn't medal during the super-G [8]. But Shiffrin remained positive about what she called "failures."

2022 downhill silver medalist @goggiasofia [9] left a note for @MikaelaShiffrin [10] (along with her downhill skis) that read, "FLY MIKA, YOU CAN." When she saw the note, Mikaela almost started crying. ❤️🙏#StrongerTogether [11] pic.twitter.com/9dD2KIdNAf [12]

— U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) February 17, 2022 [13]

Shiffrin was using Italy's 2022 downhill silver medalist Sofia Goggia's skis to compete on, who left an encourageing note for Shiffrin: "Fly Mika, you can." Shiffrin explained that Goggia wasn't using them since she wasn't competing. She said, "She actually wrote a small message on them, on a sticky note, and I saw it in the start and I almost started crying." She said she tried to fly as best as you could.

"She actually wrote a small message on them... I saw it in the start and I almost started crying."

Mikaela Shiffrin is using Italy's Sofia Goggia's skis to compete on and she left an encourageing note for Mikaela. @OnHerTurf [14] #WinterOlympics [15] pic.twitter.com/SrLMWFi60h [16]

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2022 [17]

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"I had some of the best skiing I've ever done, here, in Beijing, in the training, in the downhill over the last week, in my slalom, even today," Shiffrin said. "And on the race, in the moment when it counts, then I didn't make it to the finish, and that's never happened in my entire career. So I don't understand it, but there was so much positive that's happened the last couple weeks, despite how much it really stinks." She added, "Sometimes you just have to take it, I guess."