The Beijing Winter Olympics have begun, and with another week to go, things are well underway. Even though many American athletes have secured medals through great performances, 22-year-old alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin has not been one of them.

Nevertheless, she took her failings in stride, deciding to look up and forward, to the rest of her events. On the other hand, Italian World Cup alpine skier Sofia Goggia is a part of the competition as well.

Sadly, Goggia had suffered a terrible crash in January, which tore the ligament in her left knee. However, showing great courage and resilience, Goggia is a part of the Winter Olympics and just finished her first successful downhill practice.

Mikaela Shiffrin had some words of encouragement for Goggia after the latter returned to the slopes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtFX1WD9pcw&ab_channel=Zockerfreak-Ski

Mikaela Shiffrin praises Sofia Goggia for her resilience

Sofia Goggia crashed on January 23 in the World Cup super-G in Cortina. Consequently, she sprained her left knee and also tore a ligament. In fact, her knee had already undergone surgery prior to that.

However, in a shocking as well as inspiring turn of events, Goggia came to Beijing to compete in her women’s slalom event. In just three weeks, she was back to her sport, carving ice in the first downhill practice for women today.

Later, she acknowledged that it was “not guaranteed (for her) to be here (Beijing Winter Olympics)”. Thus, she was “just glad that (she) could finish (her) downhill”. Thus, she stated that she was extremely happy to have completed her first downhill successfully just under a month after a horrific crash.

Mikaela Shiffrin took to both Instagram and Twitter to support and encourage Goggia. “You should be happy!” Shiffrin wrote. In fact, the two-time Olympic gold medalist addressed any criticisms about Goggia not being competitive enough. She wrote that “anyone that suggests otherwise is just proof of how strong you are”,

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According to Shiffrin, anyone who had that complaint simply expected her to perform better because that is what everyone is used to seeing from the Italian skier. She acknowledged the “respect everyone around (Goggia) has for (her) skiing.”

Shiffrin is looking forward to the rest of the Olympics herself

Mikaela Shiffrin has not been having the best time at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. She suffered a crash in her first run at the women’s slalom event. Moreover, when it came time for the women’s super-G event, Shiffrin finished ninth, owing to yet another crash.

Nevertheless, Shiffrin has not let her problems weigh her down. Yesterday, she penned a powerful and positive message on her Instagram page. Shiffrin talked about how she was “the girl who failed,” but how she “could also fly”.

She described her 2022 Olympics journey so far as a “rollercoaster ride”. Nevertheless, Mikaela Shiffrin refuses to lose hope. She stated how she will “hang on tight to the (roller) coaster,” and that there is “plenty still to come”.

Shiffrin had also expressed excitement for the rest of the events, starting with the February 12 downhill practice. No matter what happens, a champion is not only their success, and Mikaela Shiffrin perfectly embodies that.

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