Mikaela Shiffrin is getting support from past and present Olympians after the US alpine skier was brought to tears over her second straight disqualification at the 2022 Olympics.
Retired Olympic champion skier Lindsey Vonn, who’s commentating on the Beijing Games for NBC, said she was “gutted” for Shiffrin after the 26-year-old’s early exit in the first run of the slalom race on Wednesday.
The shocker came two days after Shriffin did not finish the giant slalom race, in which she was the defending gold medalist, after crashing 11 seconds into the opening run.
“Gutted for @MikaelaShiffrin but this does not take away from her storied career and what she can and will accomplish going forward,” Vonn tweeted with a photo of Shriffin sitting in sorrow after the disqualification. “Keep your head high.”
On Wednesday, Shiffrin’s struggles in Beijing continued in the shalom race when she skidded out of control and missed a gate after seconds into the course.
Vonn later explained that Shiffrin “didn’t have the right direction heading into the next gate, which led to her not finishing the race.”
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Four-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles tweeted three hearts and tagged Shiffrin in her post.
Biles made headlines at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she pulled out of multiple events to focus on her mental health and a bout with the “twisties.”
Track star Gabby Thomas tweeted that Shriffin is “an inspiration for all of us,” telling the two-time Olympic Champion skier, “You have so much to be proud of… Keep going.”
Shiffrin, while fighting back tears, said Wednesday, “I’ve never been in this position before and I don’t know how to handle it.”
Shiffrin still has three more events — the super-G, downhill and combined — to turn things around in Beijing.
