Mikaela Shiffrin talks costly missed gate, bouncing back, and Roger Federer

Mikayla, blazing skiing. You were painting momentum and speed coming down the track and ahead at the last split, then obviously those late problems at the bottom. What exactly happened? Well, it was kind of a number of things. On the inspection I could kind of see that the surface changed a little bit from the bulk of the course was like compact grippy snow but just like pretty buff. And then coming onto this last little bit, this last flatter section, some turns had a bit like softer more bally snow. So basically I just thought I have to be really strong with my position like outside ski. I need to be still really dynamic but I also have to keep my foot on the gas. So the margin for error at the bottom was really really small and I went like I kind of let it go to the finish just one gate too soon because it's like with that surface and it keeps turning then just missing the timing on one turn and it's like yeah just I should have gone literally two meters farther and then it would have been fine but I let it go too soon. I paid the price for that but my skiing everywhere on the run was exactly what I wanted. That was how I saw it going and it was really good. So it's a little bittersweet because of course I'm disappointed but they skied exactly how I wanted so I can't really ask for more than that. You told me after the first run that being a second behind Brignone that you knew you had to take risk and if you skied out you skied out. Is there some solace in the fact that you were so far behind and and you pretty much had to risk it all? Yeah I mean I told her I was like hey look she's like I can't believe it what happened and said yeah I mean you had this amazing super g run and that pushed me to go to really push the limit in the slalom and I'm really proud that I was able to get to that limit but maybe just a little bit over the limit on the last three gates of the course so in the end she earned the gold medal and I'm like well I walk away with some really good feelings some things to learn and still looking forward to the next races a lot. You said the other day that you had lunch with Roger Federer and Lenzer Heide last year and he gave you some very valuable career advice both in good times and bad. Is there something that he said that you can share with us that pertains to today? I mean mostly what he's he's told me and continues to tell me is like take a moment to kind of breathe it in like yeah the good times and the bad times appreciate where you are appreciate what you have to be thankful for and especially through this whole season it's easy to just put your head down and go you know again and again and again and again and not appreciate actually the season I've had so far so I do appreciate it and I take a moment and look back and I don't know kind of I don't like yeah just take it in basically and that's that's been the best advice that I can think about throughout this period and I wouldn't say that this is even bad times I mean it was it's unfortunate and disappointing for sure for the whole team but it was also like I said it was the skiing I wanted to do I took the risk and I said before it might not work but I'm gonna try let's let's see what happens and I'm really happy with the mentality so just try to keep that going. To reciprocate have you taken Roger up on the slopes for some ski tips? When do you think I had time for that um not yet but hopefully maybe someday we'll be able to like do some drills or something I think he maybe he'd like that he'd probably be bored I don't know anyway official invitation if you ever want to ski together. Thanks Mikayla. Thank you.