PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 15: Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States reacts at the finish during the Ladies' Giant Slalom on day six of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Yongpyong Alpine Centre on February 15, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Four years after Shiffrin burst on the scene with a gold medal in the women's slalom, the 22-year-old American blitzed the competition Thursday and opened her stay at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with a masterful winning run in the giant slalom final.
Shiffrin was considered to be in the mix for the podium entering the giant slalom final, but she was hardly the favorite considering she tallied a fifth-place finish in Sochi, Russia, at her first Olympics.
However, things changed quickly after she laid down the second-best time (1:10.82) during the first run and provided a stellar foundation to build upon.
Case in point: Although she didn't finish with the top time in the final run—that honor belonged to Sweden's Estelle Alphand—Shiffrin carded the fourth-best time at 1:09.20 during her last attempt and used that to blow by Mowinckel and Brignone.
According to theInternational Ski Federation, Shiffrin is the sixth woman in Olympic history to win gold in both the slalom and giant slalom.
Noticeably absent from the podium was Germant's Viktoria Rebensburg, who won giant slalom gold in 2010 and bronze in 2014.
Rebensburg—who arrived in Pyeongchang as No. 1 in the giant slalomWorld Cup standings—slipped to fourth in large part because she finished eighth during her first run (1:11.45) and didn't post a time that allowed her to make up for that less-than-ideal start.
Looking ahead, the spotlight will be trained firmly on Shiffrin as she eyes a repeat in the slalom and tries to pad her medal count with another gold Friday at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre.
Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal reacts in the finish area of the men's downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Jeongseon, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Downhill skiing is a young man's sport—unless that man is Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal.
After a series of weather delays, the downhill event finally took place at the 2018 Winter Games on Wednesday, with Svindal turning in a time of 1:40.25 to capture gold. The 35-year-old became the oldest Olympic alpine skier in history to win gold.
Compatriot Kjetil Jansrud finished 0.12 seconds behind Svindal to take silver, and Switzerland's Beat Feuz captured bronze. Svindal and Jansrud are the first downhill skiing teammates to win gold and silver since Pirmin Zurbriggen and Peter Muller of Switzerland took both in the 1988 Games.
Norway had never won a gold medal in the downhill event. Svindal previously won silver as part of his stellar 2010 Games in Vancouver, in which he also won a gold in Super-G and bronze in giant slalom.
"He showed at the bottom, where [his] strength is, in the high-speed turns, to keep the speed, that is why he is number one," Norway Alpine team director Claus Rystetold reporters. "For us in Norway this is our first downhill gold medal and so it is a historic day in many ways."
Jansrud previously won the bronze in downhill at the 2014 Games, which also saw him win gold in Super-G.
The downhill event was one of many skiing runs delayed by heavy winds, which have caused scheduling changes throughout the week. Sixteen peoplehavebeen treated for minor injuries due to the winds thus far.
Defending champion Matthias Mayer finished ninth.
Bryce Bennett was the highest-finishing American in 16th place.
Thanks to the windy weather earlier in the week, we'll have not one but two Alpine skiing events Wednesday. We think. The weather is supposed to calm down long enough to get a few runs in...
2018 Olympics Women's Slalom Featuring Mikaela Shiffrin Postponed Due to Weather
Feb 13, 2018
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin leaves the course after the women's giant slalom was postponed due to high winds at the 2018 Winter Olympics at the Yongpyong Alpine Center, Pyeongchang, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
The weather in Pyeongchang, South Korea, appears to have something against Mikaela Shiffrin.
After the women's giant slalom—which was scheduled for Sunday (based on U.S. ET)—was postponed because of high winds, Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated reported the women's slalom—which was scheduled for Tuesday—was also postponed.
Shiffrin is looking to defend the gold medal she won in the slalom at the 2014 Sochi Games but will have to wait until Thursday night to do so, per Heather Cox of NBC Sports.
Female Alpine skiers aren't the only ones who have dealt with weather issues at the 2018 Olympics. The United States Ski and Snowboard Team announced Saturday the men's downhill was postponed because of weather.
As for the women's slalom postponement, fans will have to wait for Shiffrin's competitive Pyeongchang debut. She won gold in the event in 2014 at the age of 18.
Seth Rubinroit of NBC Olympics noted Shiffrin became the youngest Olympic slalom champion in Sochi and proceeded to sweep the ensuing slalom gold medals at the World Championships. According to Rubinroit, Shiffrin could become the first woman to capture back-to-back golds in the slalom.
She will have to deal with both a challenging field and potential fatigue, as the women's giant slalom is scheduled for the day before the women's slalom.
NBC Olympics Schedule 2018: Event Guide, Live-Stream Info and Tuesday Picks
Feb 13, 2018
Shaun White, of the United States, jumps during the men's halfpipe qualifying at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Two of the United States' top Olympians are expected to win gold on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in Pyeongchang, South Korea).
Shaun White and Mikaela Shiffrin will take the American audience by storm with their performances in the men's halfpipe and women's slalom, respectively.
White is looking to extend his dominance in the halfpipe, an event he's won twice before at the Olympics, and enters as the top qualifier.
Shiffrin broke on to the stage in 2014 with a victory in the slalom, and she's hoping a repeat of her gold from Sochi is the start of one of the most historic medal hauls in Winter Olympics history.
In addition to White and Shiffrin's showcase events, figure skating returns to primetime with the start of the pairs competition, while curling and women's ice hockey also take place on Tuesday night.
Women's Group B: Sweden vs. Switzerland (10:10 p.m. ET)
All events can be live-streamed on NBCOlympics.com.
Medal Predictions
Men's Snowboarding Halfpipe
The men's halfpipe is lining up to be one of the best competitions in Pyeongchang.
White, Scotty James of Australia and Japan's Ayumu Hirano put on a show in the two qualifying runs on Monday, with each member of the trio one-upping each other.
James appeared to have the top mark after a monstrous second run that garnered a score of 96.75, but White immediately responded with a mark of 98.50 to top the standings heading into the final.
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 13: Shaun White of the United States celebrates after his second run during the Snowboard Men's Halfpipe Qualification on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 13, 2
Hirano's performance was a bit overshadowed by those of White and James, but he's right up there in the standings as well after a second-run score of 95.25.
To have three riders over 95 in qualifying, and a fourth over 90 in American Ben Ferguson, is absurd, and it sets up for a showdown of epic proportions involving tricks that haven't been tried in Olympic competition.
Given how the qualifying round went, it wouldn't come as a shock if one of the three riders throws down a perfect score, with White being the most likely to do so since he drops into the halfpipe last.
Prediction: 1. Shaun White (United States), 2. Scotty James (Australia), 3. Ayumu Hirano (Japan)
Women's Slalom
Shiffrin's ascension to the Olympic alpine skiing throne starts on Tuesday with the defense of her slalom gold.
The 22-year-old, who has won the slalom at the last three World Championships, leaves the starting gate third in the first run of the competition, and she's expected to set the leading mark.
With a victory on Tuesday, Shiffrin will achieve a few different milestones. She would become the first man or woman to earn a repeat title in the slalom event and the first American to win multiple golds in a single alpine skiing event, per FIS-Ski.com.
LENZERHEIDE, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 28: Mikaela Shiffrin of USA in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Slalom on January 28, 2018 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. (Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Shiffrin currently holds an advantage of 175 points over Slovakia's Petra Vlhova in the World Cup standings, and if there is a challenger to her title, it is Vlhova, who will be the first skier on course.
Other medal contenders include Sweden's Frida Hansdotter and Switzerland's Wendy Holdener, who are third and fourth, respectively, in the World Cup standings.
Bernadette Schlid, the younger sister of two-time Olympic runner-up Marlies Schlid, could also factor into the medal discussion.
Statistics obtained from Olympic.org unless otherwise noted.
Olympic Alpine Skiing Schedule 2018: Live Stream, TV Info for Women's Slalom Run
Feb 13, 2018
Mikaela Shiffrin, of the U.S.A., celebrates her gold medal in the women's slalom at the alpine skiing World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
The women's slalom is set to take place at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, but adverse weather has affected the alpine skiing program from the Pyeongchang Games.
If the winds die down, the gold medal is set to be decided at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre, with reigning champion Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States hotly tipped to prevail.
The 22-year-old has dominated the World Cup program this year but has dramatically lost form in the recent buildup to the Games.
The slalom runs take place Tuesday evening in the U.S., and in the early hours of the morning in the UK and Europe on Wednesday—with the start scheduled for 10:15 a.m. local time.
SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 22: Gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States celebrates during the medal ceremony for the Women's Slalom on Day 15 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Medals Plaza on February 22, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Rya
Shiffrin has developed into one of her sport's most recognisable figures, catapulted to stardom at Sochi 2014 as she snatched the gold medal as an 18-year-old.
The American was sensational four years ago and has largely had no equal during the recent World Cup schedule.
Shiffrin won six World Cup races consecutively but faltered at the last challenge in Switzerland.
The Colorado-born talent is set to also ski in the giant slalom on Thursday after the event was postponed due to high winds, and there is a chance the rescheduling could affect her preparations and performance.
As superstar compatriot Lindsey Vonn goes for gold in the women's super-G event, American skiing fans will be expecting a big performance from Shiffrin to supplement the nation's medal haul.
However, high winds have wreaked havoc at the Games, and the pecking order could be severely affected as athletes attempt to deal with the challenges presented.
Shiffrin also harbours ambitions of success in the giant slalom and finished fifth at the Olympics four years ago.
However, she grabbed the silver in the event at the 2017 World Championships, and she can be optimistic of scoring two gold medals if she finds her strongest form.
Sweden's Frida Hansdotter clears a gate during the first run of the women's slalom race at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on January 28, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Fabrice COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AF
Frida Hansdotter will offer the reigning champion her biggest test, with the Swede capable of wrestling away the gold if she produces her best.
The 32-year-old is vastly experienced but does not have the explosive talent of Shiffrin. However, if the American has a bad day at the office, her rival will step forward to punish her.
Olympic Men's Alpine Skiing Combined Results 2018: Medal Winners After Slalom
Feb 13, 2018
Austria's Marcel Hirscher celebrates after crossing the finish line of the Men's Alpine Combined Slalom at the Jeongseon Alpine Center during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang on February 13, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Dimitar DILKOFF (Photo credit should read DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images)
Austria's Marcel Hirscher took the gold in the men's Alpine combined event on Tuesday at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with a time of two minutes, 6.52 seconds.
France's Alexis Pinturault was close behind with a time of 2:06.75 and took silver, while fellow Frenchman Victor Muffat-Jeandet rounded out the podium places after a combined time of 2:07.54.
Germany's Thomas Dressen had held a narrow lead after the downhill section with a time of 1:19.24, but he finished ninth overall.
After a downhill section that ran on a shortened course, starting from a gate usually reserved for the super-G, the slalom ran somewhat more smoothly, though the skiers were affected by the occasional strong gust of wind.
Former Alpine skier Chemmy Alcott gave her take on the slalom course:
This looks like one of the tougher Combi Slalom tracks. Slick surface, tight, technical turns and little room to make a lot of time back #alpinecombined#bbcolympics
Muffat-Jeandet was the first out of the gate, and despite coming 29th in the downhill run, he set the benchmark with a strong time of 45.97 seconds.
Indeed, he retained the lead after half the field had run the slalom, but Hirscher's attempt saw him leapfrog the Frenchman by more than a second overall but just 0.01 ahead of his slalom time.
The Austrian picked up speed throughout his course and was fastest through the second and third intermediates despite a potentially disruptive gust of wind midway through his run.
Bill Pennington of the New York Times praised him:
Hirscher just destroyed the slalom portion, has the lead in Alpine combined 8 racers to go
Hirscher had won six World Championship gold medals but only had an Olympic silver to his name.
Pinturault was quicker through the first intermediate but couldn't quite maintain his strong start, ultimately slipping in behind Hirscher by the end of the run.
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 13: Thomas Dressen of Germany reacts after making a run during the Men's Alpine Combined Downhill on day four of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre on February 13, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Thomas Dressen gained an early edge in the men's Alpine combined event, finishing first in the combined downhill on Tuesday in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The German finished the course in one minute, 19.24 seconds, just 0.07 seconds ahead of Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal.
Inclement weather has been a storyline throughout the Olympics, with multiple events delayed and qualifying canceled completely in some instances. Tuesday's downhill wasn't immune to the problem, with race officials using the starting gate reserved for the super-G, thus shortening the course somewhat.
Dressen got off to a slow start, with his time through the first intermediate (14.80) the 17th-best of the competition. He quickly recovered, seeing his speed climb from 105.67 km/h in the first intermediate to 108.44 km/h in the second.
Dressen maintained that speed through the third intermediate until reaching the finish line.
The good news for skiers further down the leaderboard is that the slalom can more than make up for an underwhelming downhill run.
Sandro Viletta won gold in the men's super combined at the 2014 Winter Olympics despite placing 14th in the downhill. Four years earlier, Bode Miller rebounded from a seventh-place finish in the downhill to earn the only Olympic gold of his career.
The New York Times' Bill Pennington believes Marcel Hirscher is primed for a big jump up the leaderboard when the slalom competition begins:
Marcel Hirscher may be 1.32 seconds behind Germany's Thomas Dressen after the downhill portion of the Alpine combined, but make no mistake, Hirscher already has one hand on the gold medal. He can easily erase that gap during the event's final stage, a slalom, this afternoon
Hirscher finished first in the slalom in six of his last seven FIS World Cup events. The fact he's only in 12th place will be of little comfort for Dressen.
Four Americans took part in the combined downhill, with Ryan Cochran-Siegle the only one of the four who failed to finish the course. Jared Goldberg is the top U.S. skier so far. His time of 1:20.02 has him in ninth place. Ted Ligety, who won the gold medal in Alpine combined in 2006, is in 26th place.
Mikaela Shiffrin's 2018 Winter Olympics Schedule: TV Event Times, Live Stream
Feb 12, 2018
US Mikaela Shiffrin reacts after missing a gate in the Women's slalom race at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup on January 28, 2018 in Lenzerheide. / AFP PHOTO / Fabrice COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)
The wait is nearly over for United States fans to see Mikaela Shiffrin make her 2018 Winter Olympics debut in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Shiffrin was originally set to get her Olympics underway in the women's giant slalom on Sunday (in U.S. time). However, inclement weather, which has already forced numerous delays in the skiing and snowboarding events, led International Ski Federation officials to postpone the giant slalom until Wednesday (Thursday morning in Pyeongchang).
"It's a bummer that we're not able to race today," Shiffrin said of the delay, per the Washington Post's Barry Svrluga. "But with the training block I've had, I'm prepared and feeling good. I'll use this time to continue to train and refocus on Wednesday's slalom race. We have a great gym and space to eat and take plenty of naps, so I'll use this time to recharge."
As a result, Shiffrin will begin her Olympics with the ladies' slalom on Tuesday night. Below is the full viewing schedule for the alpine skiing events, which are subject to change depending on the conditions in Pyeongchang.
Note: NBC will air portions of the alpine skiing events as part of its prime-time coverage, which begins each night at 8 p.m. ET.
The scheduling change could work to Shiffrin's benefit.
She earned a gold medal in the slalom in Sochi, Russia, at the 2014 Winter Olympics, beating out Austrians Marlies Schild and Kathrin Zettel. She's also a three-time gold medalist in the event at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
By starting with the slalom, Shiffrin can build big momentum right out of the gate before she embarks on the rest of her 2018 Olympics. Of course, that can cut the other way, too. Should Shiffrin fail to medal in the slalom, she may feel more pressure to deliver in her other events.
Because the 22-year-old is so versatile, she'll have an opportunity to make history in Pyeongchang. Three is the record number of gold medals won in alpine skiing over one Olympics. Toni Sailer was the first to do it in 1956, and Jean-Claude Killy and Janica Kostelic matched the feat in 1968 and 2002, respectively.
Shiffrin argued three gold medals is within the realm of possibility.
"I think so. I mean, ask Michael Phelps," she said, per Bleacher Report's Tom Weir. "I know it's not the same thing. There are more events in swimming, but do you think it's possible to win 23 Olympic medals in a career? I guess so."
As good as Shiffrin is, her recent performances indicate how hard it will be to match her lofty expectations.
Only once in six FIS World Cup events did Shiffrin place first in the downhill competition. She has also never placed higher than fourth in the Super-G in eight tries in the World Cup. She did finish first in the alpine combined at a World Cup event on Feb. 26, 2017, in Switzerland.
In addition to the difficulty that comes with winning multiple skiing events, all of the weather delays have compacted what was already a tight schedule.
Shiffrin will have a break Thursday after the slalom and giant slalom, but Friday will begin what's an eight-day stretch when she's either competing or training. That is bound to put a serious toll on her physically and mentally.
Should she come back to the United States with three gold medals in tow, Shiffrin will have achieved legendary status in the sport.
2018 Olympics Women's Giant Slalom Rescheduled Because of High Winds
Feb 11, 2018
LENZERHEIDE, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 28: Mikaela Shiffrin of USA in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Slalom on January 28, 2018 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. (Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin will have to wait to chase gold at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
According to Seth Rubinroit of NBCOlympics.com, the women's giant slalom was postponed, meaning there has yet to be an Alpine skiing finals event at these Games because of high winds. The event was set to air live Sunday in the United States.
The women's slalom will go on as scheduled Feb. 14, while the giant slalom has been moved to Feb. 15.
"It's a bummer that we're not able to race today," Shiffrin said. "But with the training block I've had, I'm prepared and feeling good. I'll use this time to continue to train and refocus on Wednesday's slalom race. We have a great gym and space to eat and take plenty of naps, so I'll use this time to recharge."
This comes after the United States Ski and Snowboard Team announced the men's downhill Alpine skiing event—slated to air Saturday in the United States—was postponed.
Bill Pennington of the New York Times acknowledged "having two races, one at the speed venue and another at the tech venue on the same day is becoming more possible."
The women's giant slalom was set to be a historic occasion, as Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press noted it would have been the first time since the 1984 Games in Sarajevo the women competed before the men in the Alpine skiing events.
The 1984 Olympics underwent a significant schedule adjustment because of a blizzard.
As a result of this news, stateside fans will not have the opportunity to watch Shiffrin, 22, on Sunday. She captured the slalom gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Games while finishing fifth in the giant slalom and figures to be one of the marquee American athletes at these Olympics.
