Mikaela Shiffrin: "The girl who failed... could also fly."

Though she may have finished ninth, Friday's (11 February) Super G race at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 may have been one of the most meaningful of Mikaela Shiffrin's storied career.

After crashing out in her first two events, Shiffrin finally made it to the bottom of the course.

"The girl who failed... could also fly," she wrote later in a post shared on Twitter and Instagram. "It’s wonderful to train and compete alongside all of these courageous and incredible women, who have overcome so much in their life, just to get here. But being here can really hurt too. There’s a lot of disappointment and heartbreak going around in the finish area, but there’s also a lot of support.

"And most importantly, every day there are at least a few spectacular and inspirational performances that we all get to witness and admire," the post continued.

Coming into Beijing, Shiffrin was targeting an ambitious plan to compete in all five individual events. That schedule still includes two races to come: the downhill (15 Feb) and the alpine combined (17 Feb).

She may also enter the team event scheduled for Saturday 19 February.

"It’s a lot to digest in just one event…let alone the whole rollercoaster ride of an entire Olympics," Shiffrin wrote. "Wellllll, guess I better hang on tight to the coaster cause we have plenty still to come. First DH training starts tomorrow!"