BEIJING Sara Hector smiled when she crossed the finish line Monday and raised her ski poles to put them atop her helmet. She seemed to be laughing later, as if to say, “Did I really just do this?” while clutching her gold during the giant slalom.
The Olympian still should have a handful of chances over the next two weeks to become the first Alpine ski racer from the United States to win three Olympic golds across her career.
Mikaela Shiffrin will not soon forget what happened Monday in her first race of the Beijing Olympics. The poor transition that came five turns, and about 10 seconds, into the defense of her 2018 gold medal in the giant slalom. The skidding slide onto her left side. The missed gate meant she was done so early in the opening run of a two-leg event.
The Olympian still should have a handful of chances over the next two weeks to become the first Alpine ski racer from the United States to win three Olympic golds across her career.
The Olympian still should have a handful of chances over the next two weeks to become the first Alpine ski racer from the United States to win three Olympic golds across her career.