YANQING, China (Reuters) – American skier Mikaela Shiffrin says she is ready to carry “onward” as she prepares for Friday’s super-G event at the Beijing Olympics.
Shiffrin, a three-time overall Alpine skiing World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medallist, cut a distraught figure after skiing out of the slalom on Wednesday just seconds into her run.
She also did not finish the giant slalom, leaving one of the biggest stars on the American team in danger of leaving Beijing without a medal.
Shiffrin fought back tears after her slalom exit on Wednesday.
A U.S. ski team spokeswoman said on Thursday that Shiffrin was considering pulling out of the super-G following early exits from her specialist events.
But Shiffrin left little doubt about her intentions in her Twitter post on Friday morning, just a few hours before her race.
“Well I’ve had a lot of support over the last 48 hours and I have to thank everyone for that,” she wrote.
“Today is Super G, and Super G is fun. I can’t express how grateful I am to have the opportunity to refocus on a new race, in the sport that I love so much. Onward.”
The super-G starts at 11 a.m. local time (0300 GMT)
Shiffrin is the most high-profile skier on the U.S. team and with intense focus on her failures, her boyfriend Norwegian downhiller Aleksander Aamodt Kilde called for public support and understanding.
“The pressure we all put on individuals in sports is enormous, so let’s give the same amount of support back. It’s all about the balance and we are just normal human beings,” he wrote on Facebook.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Ballarat, Australia; Additional reporting by Simon Evans)
