PEYONGCHANG, South Korea _ Less than 24 hours after Mikaela Shiffrin's unexpected fourth-place finish in the slalom, the U.S. Alpine skiing star grappled with the disappointment in a 270-word post on Instagram.
"I've gone over it a thousand times in my head, and I don't think I could have done it differently even if I got a second chance," Shiffrin wrote Saturday. "So I wouldn't take back my emotions or excitement after the (giant slalom) in order to have better shot at a (slalom) medal too. You know, it's not necessarily the medalists who get the most out of the Olympics. It's those who are willing to strip down to nothing and bear their soul for their love of the game. That is so much greater than Gold, Silver, or Bronze."
Shiffrin, the top-ranked overall skier on the World Cup circuit this season, won the giant slalom in her first race at the Pyeongchang Games.
But she vomited before the start of the slalom Friday _ she later attributed the upset stomach to nerves _ and couldn't medal in her best event.
"Some are going to leave here feeling like heroes, some will leave heartbroken, and some will have had moments when the felt both _ because we care," Shiffrin wrote. "That is real. That is life. It's amazing and terrifying and wonderful and brutal and exciting and nerve racking and beautiful. And honestly, I'm just so grateful to be part of that."
The 22-year-old remains a contender for medals in the downhill _ training started Sunday _ and combined events.
Another victory would make her the first U.S. Alpine skier of either gender to win three career gold medals at the Games.
