Star skier Mikaela Shiffrin could have blamed external pressure for her disappointments at the Beijing Winter Games, but even after missing out on a medal in her sixth race she embraced the media focus on her to celebrate the good in failing.
Shiffrin, a three-time overall World Cup champion who already has three Olympic medals to her name, came nowhere near adding a fourth in Beijing despite competing in all disciplines — a rare choice in a sport dominated by specialists.
Shiffrin is the most successful Alpine skier of her generation and the American's shortcomings in China were reminiscent of the disappointments American gymnast Simone Biles and Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka suffered at the Tokyo Games last summer.