Shiffrin eyes multiple medal haul at Pyeongchang

WASHINGTON: US alpine ski star Mikaela Shiffrin, who captured her third consecutive world slalom title last weekend in Switzerland, is looking at a possible multiple medal haul at next year’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The 21-year-old American will defend slalom gold next February 13 in South Korea after winning at Sochi in 2014 at age 18, becoming the youngest Olympic slalom champion in history.

“Performing at the Olympics is on a whole other level because it’s only once every four years. It sets you up for the rest of your career. So there is a lot more pressure,” Shiffrin said in a US Olympic Committee conference call.

“It’s going to be a totally new feeling having won a gold medal and competed at an Olympics before. There are more expectations around me having won a gold medal. I sort of have to take it in stride.”

But Shiffrin, who finished second in the giant slalom at this month’s world championships, said the worlds made her “think more about big competitions and my goals” for Pyeongchang, looking beyond her usual disciplines for medals in Super G and combined as well.

“Downhill isn’t even out of the question either,” she said. “I’m trying to set myself up to be a medal contender in three or four events, which would really be incredible.”