BEIJING — In a normal time, Mikaela Shiffrin finishing a race wouldn’t be worth mentioning.
The world’s top female skier has piled up victories and gold medals and world championships with such regularity that the accomplishments became routine. She paired the success that appeared to come so easily — at least from the outside — with a thoughtful, vulnerable approach that is unusual for such a dominant athlete.
Shiffrin’s pursuit of medals in five individual events at the Yanqing National Alpine Centre was supposed to be one of the main attractions at the Winter Olympics.
