Mikaela Shiffrin's heartbreaking start to the 2022 Winter Olympics

For 25 minutes, Colorado's Mikaela Shiffrin sat on the sideline of the slalom course, knees to chest, head bowed.

State of play: She looked like we all felt. Devastated. In disbelief. Heartbroken.

The 26-year-old American face of the Olympics — and our hometown hero — missed a gate in the slalom race Tuesday, the second of two competitions this week in which she did not finish.

• In the slalom and giant slalom, she skied a combined 25 seconds before her medal hopes were ended. Both were her best shots at gold in the 2022 Winter Games.
• The last time Shiffrin failed to finish consecutive technical races at the top level was December 2011, when she was 16 years old.

Between the lines: Her falls are igniting inevitable comparisons to Simone Biles and the pressure of the Olympic spotlight.

What she's saying: "Pretty much everything makes me second guess the last 15 years — everything I thought I knew about my own skiing and slalom and racing mentality," she told TV viewers post-race.

Of note: Fellow Team USA skier Nina O'Brien, who is from Denver, suffered a compound fracture to her left tibia and fibula from a scary crash in the giant slalom Monday.

• Doctors performed surgery to stabilize the bones and she's traveling back to the U.S. for further care.