Mikaela Shiffrin: The wind is very strong, I hope it won’t blow anyone off the track

The strong winds on the slopes in Yanqing are seriously worrying the participants in the alpine skiing tournament at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, said the two-time champion from Sochi and Pyeongchang – Mikaela Shiffrin.

She said the hurricane was squeezing its thumbs “so I hope it won’t blow anyone off the track”.

Mikaela Shiffrin, who will compete in all five starts, made her first official practice on Friday.

“In these competitions, we will probably go down with clenched thumbs. This is one of the steepest tracks I have ever seen in my career. Besides, the wind is terribly strong, so I hope no one is blown off the mountain”, said Mikaela Shiffrin. “Skiing at such a speed and being blown by such a hurricane is not only really very difficult, but at the same time very dangerous. It’s not very pleasant for us to face the most important competitions in our careers, and the results depend so much on the natural conditions”, added she.

The 26-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom in Sochi 2014 and the giant slalom in PyeongChang 2018. The American also has a silver from the combination in the Republic of Korea and believes that she is fully capable of increasing the number of her medals.

“I will have to drive really well here if I want a medal. The track is difficult and everything must be finished to the last detail. I will be disappointed if I leave without a medal, but we athletes are never completely satisfied. I can’t do two perfect weeks”, added Mikaela Shiffrin.