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Mikaela Shiffrin and Simone Biles exchanged tweets of support during each other's lowest moments of their esteemed Olympic careers

Feb 10, 2022, 04:29 IST
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Mikaela Shiffrin at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.Robert F. Bukaty/AP Images
  • Few people know the pressures of high-level sports like Mikaela Shiffrin and Simone Biles.
  • The Olympic alpine skier and gymnast have voiced support for one another during tough moments.
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Few people genuinely understand what it's like to be Mikaela Shiffrin.

But Simone Biles has a pretty good idea.

The two superstar Olympians — both in their mid-twenties — have faced unfathomable pressure on the world stage while competing on behalf of Team USA. And both have faltered under those incredibly bright lights.

Simone Biles wipes away tears during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Biles famously struggled at the Tokyo Olympics last summer as a case of the twisties derailed her medal chances in nearly every gymnastics event on her jam-packed schedule. When Biles took the opportunity to speak out about her mental health, Shiffrin was one of her most vocal supporters from back home:

So when, just this week, the legendary alpine skier got off to a rocky start in Beijing, Biles was quick to return the favor.

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She also reshared a tweet from writer and activist Charlotte Clymer stating that "shaming people just because they didn't perform well at the Olympics" is counter to the purpose of the games.

Shiffrin skied out of back-to-back races — including her specialty, the women's slalom — to start her five-event slate at this winter's games. The three-time Olympic medalist and six-time World Champion sat slope-side for the better part of a half-hour in utter disbelief.

While the 26-year-old still has plenty of time to right the ship, the burden of two errors may carry extra weight given the isolation of an Olympics hosted mid-pandemic. But if anyone can muster the mental fortitude it takes to bounce back — the same way Biles did on the balance beam in Tokyo — it's a once-in-a-generation talent like Shiffrin.

Shiffrin has won gold at the past two winter games.Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Friday's Women's Super-G is the next event on Shiffrin's schedule, but it's unclear whether she'll go ahead with that race, given emerging concerns for her safety. The Women's Downhill, Women's Combined (Downhill), and Women's Combined (Slalom) — all of which Shriffin has on her docket — are set for early next week.

"At the moment, she's resilient," Shiffrin's mother, Eileen, said of her daughter, per The Washington Post. "But it hurts. I'm not going to lie. It hurts a lot. She was definitely skiing well enough to win this race, and she knew it."

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