PYEONGCHANG, South Korea -- Mikaela Shiffrin began her much-anticipated debut at the 2018 Winter Olympics Thursday, with the American ski racer clocking a 1:10.82 in her first of two runs in the giant slalom competition at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre.
She’s scheduled to take her second run Thursday afternoon, when the combined times of the races will determine the winner.
By the time Shiffrin reached the finish line of her first run, she had a good sense for where she stood. Each of the skiers ranked in the top five of the World Cup standings in the giant slalom have raced before Shiffrin, who was seventh skier on the course.