By Alan Baldwin
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 14 (Reuters) - 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 reigning champion, are the other 2025-26 winners.
"The Olympics don't ask for perfection. They ask for courage - and I want to carry that with me," Scheib said in an Instagram post.
Italy's Federica Brignone was silver medallist in Beijing and, after coming into her home Games as an outsider following her comeback from career-threatening injury, the 35-year-old looks a real contender again after a surprise gold in super-G.
Asked about her chances after Thursday's epic win, Brignone struck a cautious note.
"I don't know. I skied two runs yesterday and I couldn't ski two days ago," she said. "From Kronplatz (on January 20), I put my skis on just three times. I will do like today, I will try my best."
Robinson suspected Brignone could turn out to be "pretty hot" in giant as well.
"I'm going to have to be pulling all of my best tricks out to be in the mix there," she said.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Ken Ferris)
