Mikaela Shiffrin skied out of the slalom, falling out of a second straight Olympic event.- Afterward,
Lindsey Vonn offered words of encouragement, saying the moment won't define her career.
Lindsey Vonn attempted to soften the blow of $4 at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday in Beijing.
During her trial run, Shiffrin slipped and missed a gate just seconds into her run, ending her shot at the slalom. It was Shiffrin's second straight DNF at these games, as she fell during the giant slalom on Monday in Beijing.
After her fall in the slalom, Shiffrin skied off to the side of the course and sat in the snow in disbelief for several minutes.
On NBC, Vonn offered words of encouragement, saying the fall wouldn't define Shiffrin's decorated career.
"Unfortunately, that is ski racing," Vonn said. "As disappointing as this is for Mikaela, she was risking it all. She was pushing herself to the limit. Does she make the correct tactical choices? Maybe not. But this does not take away from her historic career. How many medals she's got in the past, how many world championship medals she's got in the past, how many World Cup wins she's got.
"So I think she really has to keep in perspective. She is still an immensely great talent. A great skier and this one race does not take away from that."
Vonn also posted a similar message to Twitter.
—lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) $4
Shiffrin has faced sky-high expectations at these Olympics. Vonn herself actually added to those in January, telling Reuters she was "expecting" Shiffrinn to medal in every event.
Shiffrin, with 73 World Cup victories, is largely considered the best alpine skier in the world and is on the path to becoming the most decrated ever.
However, her last two Olympic games have not gone according to plan. Though she won gold in the giant slalom and silver in the combined at the 2018 Pyeongchang games, she finished fourth in the slalom and pulled out of two other events.
After falling in the giant slalom, Shiffrin said dwelling on it would be "wasting energy." She has the super-G on Thursday and is still planning on competing in the downhill and combined.