Mikaela Shiffrin, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, fell just seconds into her first race at the Beijing Olympics during the women’s giant slalom early Monday. Shiffrin could not recover her footing in time to remain in the course and was disqualified from the competition, which continues with a second run Monday afternoon.
Shiffrin had just pushed out of the gate when she struggled to maintain her balance on a turn to her right. Late for the next gate, she toppled to her left hip and skidded to a stop. Shiffrin was the defending champion in the event.
Shiffrin has four races remaining in the Olympics, including her best event, the slalom, on Wednesday, but the giant slalom was seen as one of three good opportunities for her to win a medal, including a gold.