Alpine skiing-Shiffrin tries again in giant slalom after team combined fail

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 14 : Mikaela Shiffrin has her second chance of a medal in Sunday's Olympic giant slalom but the U.S. Alpine ski great could struggle to end her podium drought.

The most successful skier in World Cup history is without an Olympic medal since 2018 and has faced a mental challenge in the discipline since she suffered a punctured abdomen in Vermont in November 2024.

A third place in the Czech resort of Spindleruv Mlyn last month was the 2018 Olympic champion and 2023 world champion's first podium in giant since that traumatic crash.

Where that leaves her, Shiffrin admitted in a press conference on arrival in Cortina d'Ampezzo last week, is anyone's guess.

The 30-year-old recognised that despite building momentum she was still holding back in some turns where top rivals pushed harder.

"I would say my top pace is among the fastest in the world," she said. "My baseline is good.

"To have my first World Cup podium (in GS) again and to be consistently in the top five,  top six, top 10s this World Cup season is a motivating factor."

Arriving at the Games as the dominant slalom skier, with seven wins in eight races, she suffered a shock collapse of form in the team combined event.

Shiffrin's slalom leg was only 15th fastest and left her and downhill-gold-medal teammate Breezy Johnson fourth overall.

"There's something to learn from this day, and I'm going to learn it,” Shiffrin said then. "We become champions from negative experiences in many ways.”

AUSTRIA'S SCHEIB HAS WINNING FORM 

Austria's Julia Scheib leads the World Cup giant slalom standings with four wins in eight races and will be the favourite, while New Zealand's Alice Robinson has won twice.

Switzerland's Camille Rast and Sweden's Sara Hector, the