Mikaela Shiffrin’s Fall and the High Emotional Stakes of the COVID-Era Olympics

The last few days at the Beijing Winter Olympics have seen Team USA’s highest-profile stars face a few make-or-break moments. Record-breaking figure skater Nathan Chen and snowboarding phenom Chloe Kim turned in outstanding performances, but Tuesday night’s prime-time coverage centered on Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s struggles in the slalom, the event where she took gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The 26-year-old missed the fourth gate on a slope at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre and was eliminated from competition, just days after an early fall on the giant slalom meant an end to her medal hopes… Read Full Article