Mikaela between cup dreams and that Olympic attempt. Shiffrin speaks: "In Beijing I would like to do the 5 races"

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Beijing 2022: All news

After the last training sessions in Soelden, here are the thoughts of the American who wants to regain the crystal ball ("I'm working hard to get back to fighting") and looks to the Games in China, where in 10 days she will try to play all the classical disciplines.

Sunday 17 October 2021 5 minutes reading time

She is the most anticipated woman, even if Federica Brignone and Petra Vlhova have won the last two World Cups, and probably the main favorite for what would be a poker in the general classification. Mikaela Shiffrin wants to return to fight for the absolute crystal ball, already won three times in series from 2017 to 2019, and to do so she will compete again in speed (completely sacrificed in 2020/21 of the return, apart from the super-g of the World Cup with bronze and ... thrown gold), as announced on the occasion of Atomic Day. It is now certain that we will see her at the beginning of December in Lake Louise for the triptych, after the Levi slalom and the "home" races in Killington, but already next Saturday the American champion will try to win again in the giant, to seize the '' expected 70th cup success almost missed several times in the final of last season, on the occasion of the opening in Soelden. Right at the end of the last training sessions on the Rettenbach, Mikaela spoke to the media at an online meeting and, as Ski Racing Media reports, the theme Beijing 2022 is already in the mind of the 26-year-old from Eagle, who will try to take everything in the season of the real one. departure for her after the drama of her father's death. Without proclamations, since she was already burned by PyeongChang 2018, when she initially thought she could play it in all the classic competitions of those Olympics in Korea, but in the end she had to "settle" for gold in giant and silver in combined, with the disappointment of 4th place in slalom and the subsequent renunciation of super-g and descent. “Something I'm dreaming of right now is to be able to compete in every race of the five classic disciplines in China - admitted Shiffrin - but this means that I have to put together an ideal preparation, even mentally. Only in those three weeks in Beijing will we understand if it will be possible to manage everything, also because we do not know the tracks and the context in general ". As in 2018, it will start with the giant on February 7 (with the American in defense of the title), then 48 hours later the slalom, his discipline where he triumphed at just 18 years old in the 2014 Sochi Games, another two days and here it is. the super-g set for February 11th, with the downhill tests that will then lead to the queen race on the 15th, followed finally by the combined on the 17th, ignoring the participation in the individual parallel and team event that are not in the programs. "Many things can change between now and February, indeed from the first Olympic race itself to the last - added the bi Olympic champion - Obviously, competing would only make sense to aim for a medal, but this season there is also the World Cup I am thinking of. Can I win it? There is never a guarantee that I will be able to take her home again, it is difficult to say now if this is a realistic goal, but I am trying to get to work to make it a real possibility ”.

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