YANQING, China, Feb 6, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Alpine ski star Mikaela Shiffrin
says she must be "full gas, full precision" as she begins her bid for a third
Olympic gold medal, and first of the Beijing Games, in Monday's giant slalom.

  The American claimed gold in the longer technical event at the Pyeongchang
Olympics four years ago but will face a real challenge in her title defence
at the National Alpine Skiing Centre in Yanqing.

  "The giant slalom hill is short... and is going to be probably a different
feeling than we've ever really had for a GS before," said Shiffrin, who also
won slalom gold at the 2014 Sochi Games.

  "It's expected to be under 50 seconds, like a very short GS. It's a full-
out sprint. You cannot afford to make mistakes, but you also cannot afford to
hold back anywhere in order not to make mistakes.

  "So it's full gas, full precision, you just have to be totally on point."

  The discipline is raced over two runs on the same slope, with the starting
order for the second run, like the slalom, dependent on results from the
first run: the skier placed 30th will start, with the leader running last.

  The format means there's a nerve-racking run-in on the second run when
racers push themselves to the limit in a bid to post the fastest combined
time.

  Shiffrin's main rivals for gold include Slovak Petra Vlhova, the six-time
world championship medallist who has often had to settle for second best to
the American on the biggest stages.

  "The season until now has been going very well for me so I am in a very
good mental mood and physical shape as well, and fully focused for the
Olympic competitions. I feel really strong," said Vlhova.

  Aged 26, like Shiffrin, Vlhova has just one world championship win to the
American's six and a best Olympic finish of fifth.

  "For a long time Mikaela was better than me," the Slovak said. "However, in
the last seasons I showed clearly I am able to beat her often.

  "We respect each other because we both know very well how difficult it is
to become the best in the world."

  Sweden's Sara Hector tops the World Cup giant slalom standings ahead of
two-time former world champion Tessa Worley, one of France's flag bearers at
the opening ceremony.

  More competition will come from Norway's Olympic silver medallist Ragnhild
Mowinckel and Austrian Katharina Liensberger, who won bronze behind Shiffrin
and Swiss winner Lara Gut-Behrami at the 2021 world championships in Cortina,
Italy.

  "I am very happy the Olympics is this year and not last year," Mowinckel
said in reference to an injury-hit spell.

  "The conditions and the hill are amazing... quite different from what we
are normally used to in Europe."