Mikaela Shiffrin shocked fans and those watching the Beijing Winter Olympics as she suffered another surprisingly early exit from a race. The two-time gold medalist in skiing missed a gate about five seconds into the course, causing her to be disqualified.
However, if we’ve learned anything the past few years, it’s to support the mental health of everyone around us, including Olympic level athletes.
And if there’s one person who understands the mental stress Shiffrin is under, it’s Simone Biles.
Biles suffered her own setbacks during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. She ended up withdrawing from some events to focus on her mental health.
But fellow current Olympians aren’t the only ones supporting Shiffrin. Former Olympian, Lindsey Vonn, a gold medalist in skiing at the 2010 Olympic Games also tweeted out support.
Vonn, now commentating for the Games for NBC, rallied for Shiffrin.
The support was wonderful to see.
Shiffrin has had two early ends to her runs during this Winter Games. Two days before this incident, she crashed 11 seconds into the opening run of the giant slalom race.
After missing the gate and being disqualified from this race, Shiffrin sat on the side of the course. NBC tried to interview the athlete, who was fighting back tears.
She said:
“It makes me second-guess the last 15 years, everything I thought I knew about my own skiing and slalom and racing mentality. Just processing a lot, for sure.”
However, the mental strain she’s under is understandable. In 2020, she lost her father, just before the start of the pandemic. And just last December, she tested positive for COVID-19, sidelining her for the start of the year.
Many online were quick to call out media outlets, NBC in particular, for the continued pressure on her mental health.
Shiffrin will have another chance to get her third gold medal in the super-G competition on Friday, a faster downhill race compared to the more technical races Shiffrin has been in so far. Whether or not she chooses to compete remains to be seen.
