Shiffrin, Goggia take positive vibes from downhill training

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For ski racers as talented and successful as Mikaela Shiffrin and Sofia Goggia, the first of three scheduled downhill training runs would not be a significant event under normal circumstances, even at an Olympics.

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Their trips Saturday though fog and the occasional flittering snowflakes were vital, though. For Shiffrin, because she still isn't sure whether she'll enter the downhill on Tuesday. For defending champion Goggia, because she hasn't competed since badly injuring her left knee and leg in a crash on Jan. 23.

"Today gives me a little bit more positivity," said Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic gold medalist from the United States who didn't finish her first runs of the giant slalom Monday or the slalom Wednesday at the Beijing Games, then was ninth in the super-G on Friday. "I would love to race this downhill, so that’s the plan. But ... we’re going to have to see how things go as the days progress."

She was not pushing herself to the utmost level — no reason to, for what amounts to a practice session — and her ultimately inconsequential time of 1 minute, 34.80 seconds was ninth-fastest among all 46 starters, fifth-fastest among those who didn't miss a gate.

Mikaela Shiffrin of United States at the start of women's downhill training at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

"It felt strong and solid. And I was in a good position," said Shiffrin, who had not trained, let alone raced, on downhill skis since finishing 38th in the World Cup stop at Lake Louise, Alberta, on Dec. 4.