After missing her first meeting in giant slalom, American Mikaela Shiffrin again missed her race on Wednesday in slalom. The champion broke down in tears, but was supported by many athletes.
Because she knows the feeling of helplessness in an appointment she thought she would never miss, Simone Biles sent her support on Wednesday to her compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin. The double Olympic champion in alpine skiing failed during her first two meetings in Beijing, in giant slalom and slalom. At the end of her failed run on Wednesday, the young woman who has won everything in her career collapsed in tears on the snow. Many since then have drawn the parallel between his situation and that of the superstar gymnast, who in Tokyo explained that he could no longer bear the pressure and had to forfeit the majority of the events. “I don’t know if there was an athlete in the entire history of sport whose victory was expected with such certainty. Everyone thought it was an easy position to hold. It’s harder than anything you can imagine. And being in the position where you are expected to do it necessarily makes things even more difficult, ”explained Mikaela Shiffrin before the Games about Simone Biles.
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On the internet, many sports fans noted the similar treatment between the two young women in the media, saying that the expectations placed on them were the cause of their discomfort. “How do I feel ? It’s pretty awful, yes. Things will be back to normal, but there, in the heat, I feel really bad, ”confided the skier at the end of her run, in front of the journalists. “My skiing has been very solid throughout my career, and I’ve always had confidence in my ability to perform. Usually, finishing my shopping has never been a problem, I am in a situation that I have never really known”, she confided.
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) February 9, 2022
These Olympic Games are particularly difficult for the athletes. Many have not been able to train normally due to Covid-19, they also have to endure the very strict rules introduced in China, being tested every day. Their mental health was put to the test by two-time Olympic champion American snowboarder Jamie Anderson who finished ninth in slopestyle earlier in the week. “I couldn’t handle the pressure. I broke down emotionally the day before the final and my sanity was gone. I’m waiting to have time to take care of myself,” she said.
“The pressure we put on ourselves is enormous”
Added to the pressure, Mikaela Shiffrin also has to deal with the grief of losing her father a few months ago. “I wish I could call my dad so that doesn’t make it any easier. He would probably tell me to move on, but he’s not here to say it, so I’m pretty angry with him,” she said at a press conference. In addition to Simone Biles, Mikaela Shiffrin has also received support from her boyfriend Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kild. He posted the image of the champion in tears, along with the caption: “When you see this photo you can tell yourself a lot of things. The majority certainly say to themselves: “She’s cracking up”, “she can’t handle the pressure”, “what’s happening to her?” And that frustrates me because I see myself as an elite athlete doing what an athlete does best. It’s the Olympics, these things happen. The pressure we put on ourselves is enormous, so let’s support it. It’s just a question of dosing because we are human beings”. But Mikaela Shiffrin does not lose morale and will still be able to try her luck in other events. Philosopher, she said Wednesday: “I am very disappointed and I have reason to be but I have experienced harder things in my life and I have reason to be optimistic for the future”.
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