Latest news with #WinterGames
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Shiffrin says in essay she feels 'like myself again' after recovering from ski racing crash, PTSD
Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin finally feels 'like myself again' after recovering from a ski racing crash last season and lingering post-traumatic stress disorder. Shiffrin described in an essay for The Players' Tribune released Friday the physical and mental hurdles she needed to clear after her serious spill during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, on Nov. 30. In the crash, something punctured Shiffrin's side and caused severe damage to her oblique muscles. 'Everyone knows what it feels like to have a bad cough. But PTSD … it's not like that,' the 30-year-old from Edwards, Colorado, wrote. 'It comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone experiences it in their own way, and no two cases are exactly alike.' Shiffrin was leading after the first run of the GS that day in Killington. With the finish line in sight on her final run, she lost an edge and slid into a gate, flipping over her skis. The all-time winningest Alpine World Cup ski racer then slammed into another gate before coming to a stop in the protective fencing. To this day, she doesn't know what led to the puncture wound, only that it was "a millimeter from pretty catastrophic,' she told The Associated Press. Shiffrin wrote in The Players' Tribune it was 'difficult to explain what the pain felt like. But the closest I can get would probably be, it was like … not only was there a knife stabbing me, but the knife was actually still inside of me.' In late January, Shiffrin returned to the World Cup circuit. The giant slalom, though, remained a cause of anxiety and she skipped the event at world championships. Ever so steadily, she's working on overcoming the mental trauma surrounding the GS as she gears up for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. She won an Olympic gold medal in the discipline at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She's been working with a psychologist to conquer her mental obstacles. 'I can admit that there were some extremely low moments," recounted Shiffrin, who won her 100th career World Cup ski race in February. "Times when I started second-guessing myself, or was critical of myself because I felt like I was letting what happened mess with me so much. It was like: Come on, Mikaela, people have had way worse crashes than that, way worse injuries. Those people got through it. What is wrong with you? "On particularly bad days, I'd question my motivation, or whether I still wanted to do this anymore. In my head, I'd be saying to myself: You know what, I kind of couldn't care less if I ever race again.' She and the therapist began looking at her recovery through the prism of PTSD. 'With me, I also think it's possible that the crash I had at the beginning of 2024 in Cortina, and then Killington happening. … that those two crashes maybe built on one another,' Shiffrin said. 'I talked with my therapist about that, and she let me know that past trauma, or a history of traumatic events, can sometimes affect your reaction to new traumatic events.' She lost her dad, Jeff, five years ago in a home accident. Her fiancé and fellow ski racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway is still recovering from a serious ski crash on Jan. 13, 2024. 'Maybe when I crashed and got that puncture wound, maybe that was kind of a perfect-storm situation for PTSD to take hold," Shiffrin wrote. Shiffrin said one thing that's helped is 'getting back to a place of joy.' She closed her essay with: "All I can do is smile with appreciation. Because, finally .... I feel like myself again.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Shiffrin says in essay she feels ‘like myself again' after recovering from ski racing crash, PTSD
Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin finally feels 'like myself again' after recovering from a ski racing crash last season and lingering post-traumatic stress disorder. Shiffrin described in an essay for The Players' Tribune released Friday the physical and mental hurdles she needed to clear after her serious spill during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, on Nov. 30. In the crash, something punctured Shiffrin's side and caused severe damage to her oblique muscles. 'Everyone knows what it feels like to have a bad cough. But PTSD … it's not like that,' the 30-year-old from Edwards, Colorado, wrote. 'It comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone experiences it in their own way, and no two cases are exactly alike.' Shiffrin was leading after the first run of the GS that day in Killington. With the finish line in sight on her final run, she lost an edge and slid into a gate, flipping over her skis. The all-time winningest Alpine World Cup ski racer then slammed into another gate before coming to a stop in the protective fencing. To this day, she doesn't know what led to the puncture wound, only that it was 'a millimeter from pretty catastrophic,' she told The Associated Press. Shiffrin wrote in The Players' Tribune it was 'difficult to explain what the pain felt like. But the closest I can get would probably be, it was like … not only was there a knife stabbing me, but the knife was actually still inside of me.' In late January, Shiffrin returned to the World Cup circuit. The giant slalom, though, remained a cause of anxiety and she skipped the event at world championships. Ever so steadily, she's working on overcoming the mental trauma surrounding the GS as she gears up for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. She won an Olympic gold medal in the discipline at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She's been working with a psychologist to conquer her mental obstacles. 'I can admit that there were some extremely low moments,' recounted Shiffrin, who won her 100th career World Cup ski race in February. 'Times when I started second-guessing myself, or was critical of myself because I felt like I was letting what happened mess with me so much. It was like: Come on, Mikaela, people have had way worse crashes than that, way worse injuries. Those people got through it. What is wrong with you? 'On particularly bad days, I'd question my motivation, or whether I still wanted to do this anymore. In my head, I'd be saying to myself: You know what, I kind of couldn't care less if I ever race again.' She and the therapist began looking at her recovery through the prism of PTSD. 'With me, I also think it's possible that the crash I had at the beginning of 2024 in Cortina, and then Killington happening. … that those two crashes maybe built on one another,' Shiffrin said. 'I talked with my therapist about that, and she let me know that past trauma, or a history of traumatic events, can sometimes affect your reaction to new traumatic events.' She lost her dad, Jeff, five years ago in a home accident. Her fiancé and fellow ski racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway is still recovering from a serious ski crash on Jan. 13, 2024. 'Maybe when I crashed and got that puncture wound, maybe that was kind of a perfect-storm situation for PTSD to take hold,' Shiffrin wrote. Shiffrin said one thing that's helped is 'getting back to a place of joy.' She closed her essay with: 'All I can do is smile with appreciation. Because, finally …. I feel like myself again.' ___ AP skiing:
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Norway Chess 2025: Watching Carlsen in Magnus country
STAVANGER: It's 4.57 PM on a slightly cold summer afternoon in downtown Stavanger. The cold can be accentuated because the North Sea is just round the corner. The sun is out but the wind chill can be felt. The gates for the playing hall at the venue for Norway Chess opened over 30 minutes ago but a fair few of the fans have stayed outside the building. Some journalists, a few photographers — including a couple of influencers who are big on social media — are also among the people braving the cold. Inside the playing hall, 11 of the 12 players — all six women's players and five of the six in open — have already taken their seats. The guests of honour tasked with making the ceremonial first moves are also inside. Outside the building, a vehicle appears to stop next to the building. It's enough to send the journalists and photographers scurrying towards the vehicle but false alarm. Seconds later, a slightly harried looking man makes his way down the other side of the road on foot. Magnus Carlsen. The principal deity is about to enter the sanctum sanctorum. Kids clutching their pens and scrapbooks politely enquire if the five-time world champion would stop for a few autographs. He apologetically points to his watch before speed-walking his way past the fans, media and broadcasters. Even in a country filled with superstars across athletics, tennis, football and a wide variety of Winter Games, Carlsen holds a separate pride of place. Sure, there's a museum for Erling Haaland in Norway but Carlsen makes kids as young as five gather around a TV set. On Day Two of Norway Chess, there were seven kids sitting around one following Carlsen's encounter against Hikaru Nakamura. As soon as the former resigned, the kids refused to buy that result. Chess is just about broadening its horizons but it's still not a TV sport. In Norway, it's an exception that satisfies the rule. It also kind of explains why Norwegians make an exception when they see the World No 1 at the breakfast table. On Tuesday morning, seven hours before Carlsen's encounter against Nakamura, the 34-year-old had settled in a corner with his bowl of cereal and coffee. On his iPad a basketball game was on. Soon enough, a few kids were there, hoping for an autograph or two while their parents smiled awkwardly, a touch embarrassed for entering into someone else's private space. Carlsen was happy to oblige all of them. That, in a nutshell, kind of explains the heft he brings not just to the game but also to the tournament. "The interest for chess in Norway was extremely low when we had the first Norway Chess tournament (in 2013)," says Kjell Madland, the event's founder and tournament director. "Magnus brought something new into this sport, he was young, he was cool, he was different from other players. Of course, we couldn't do the Norway Chess tournament (13 years back) without Magnus, because the interest for chess in Norway was almost nothing. "Norway Chess couldn't happen without him, because the interest in Norway wouldn't be there. And we needed sponsors and everything, because we wanted to do this in a totally different way from others. We wanted to have sponsors and chess on TV. You needed some interest. We have also been a part of building this interest (in Norway). But it was because of Magnus, that we could." The five-time Classical champion, in a sense, has created a whole industry by himself because of his chess exploits. It's even part of the games taught at the school level in the country, with parents forced to download the 'Play Magnus' app to try and keep pace with their kids. Carlsen may or may not continue to play the game at the Classical level but Henrik, dad, suggested that he 'wouldn't retire'. "I cannot make promises on his behalf but I don't think he will (retire)," he told a few Indian journalists. It will come as music to the plethora of fans who consider coming to the event as a sort of annual pilgrimage to watch Carlsen. Gukesh fights back for first win World champion D Gukesh faced the heat as he suffered losses in each of the first two days at Norway Chess. On Wednesday, he showed composure and nerve to best Nakamura. The US Super GM had offered a draw but the Indian rejected the offer before grinding out the win to get on the scoreboard. Friday is a rest day
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can the 2034 Winter Games help preserve Utah's quality of life? Here's what a former governor says
Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt has a long list of ways the 2002 Winter Games moved Utah forward, including the rapid rebuilding of I-15, and wants to see the same from the next Olympics. At an Envision Utah breakfast Wednesday in the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium tower, Leavitt recalled a moment from the finale of the 2002 Closing Ceremonies held there that made it clear the efforts were appreciated. 'The fireworks are going. The music is playing. There's smoke in the air and it was just fabulous,' he said, describing how a man in front of him suddenly started chanting, 'Utah, Utah, Utah,' before turning around and recognizing the governor. 'He was embarrassed,' Leavitt said, but then explained he no longer feared the impact of the Olympics. 'He said, 'Governor, I was against this. And I was wrong.' That's really worth remembering. There was a lot of opposition on the same basis. But they were wrong.' Hosting the 2034 Olympics and the Paralympics that follow for athletes with disabilities, and possibly more in the future, provides a way for Utahns to maintain their quality of life as the state grows, he said. 'We won't have the quality of life we want without the Games. We can have it using the Games as a catalyst to preserve it,' said Leavitt, who was elected governor three times before serving in former President George W. Bush's administration. In 2002, that meant creating an 'internal brand' for a state then associated overseas with John Wayne but little else, said Leavitt, now president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. The branding intended to put Utah on the map was part of a larger agenda, to make the state both a winter sports and a technology capital. Using the deadline of the Olympics, Leavitt said the state was able to make major transportation and other improvements. Hosting the 2034 Winter Games offers a chance to do even more, organizing committee CEO Brad Wilson, a former Utah House speaker, assured the audience of community and business leaders. 'I would argue that the 2034 Games, if we do this right, may be the biggest opportunity in Utah's history,' Wilson declared. 'This time we have more runway and we have the ability to engage the entire state.' The International Olympic Committee voted to give Utah a second Winter Games last year under a new bidding process. That gives organizers, who already have the necessary venues in place, two years more than they had to get ready for 2002. Wilson said unlike many prior Olympic hosts that have abandoned costly competition venues, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation has been a 'much better steward' of the taxpayer dollars initially invested in the sliding track, ski jumps and speedskating oval. While those and other Olympic venues will need to be 'spruced up' before 2034, he said the Games can serve as a motivator to get Utahns to 'do the right thing' when it comes to issues such as saving the Great Salt Lake and improving air quality. 'There are some risks we need to lean into and be willing to take,' Wilson said, adding that Utahns should be able to look back at the lead-up to 2034 and say the community involvement 'paid off big time.' Last week, organizers began a 'listening tour' to find out what that involvement should look like. The private meetings, which started in Ogden, are expected to eventually be held throughout the state. Wilson said the job of the organizing committee is 'executing the Games and doing it flawlessly,' something that will require 25,000 volunteers. They're set to be selected in 2033, he said, with preference given to those who've shown 'a commitment to making our community better.' Envision Utah interim CEO Jason Brown said the nonprofit organization focused on planning for the state's growth can play a role in a second 'era of transformation,' helping to determine what progress can be made on priorities like housing, transportation, water and education. Growing up, he said having an Olympics in Utah made him feel like he lived in 'the coolest place in the world.' When the Olympics return in 2034, 'it's going to be a great time. I'm really excited for the Games themselves,' Brown said. 'But what I really hope we don't miss is this opportunity, this excuse, this chance and reason to make Utah everything that we really hope that Utah can be.'
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
‘Boom, I'm back. It was pretty amazing.' Bruin Jeremy Swayman found his game playing for Team USA at World Championship.
The telltale scent was of champagne and beer, the celebratory beverages of choice that showered down on Swayman and his Team USA brethren Sunday in Stockholm when copping Advertisement It also was Swayman's first gold on the international stage — adding to his World Junior bronze medal while on loan from the University of Maine — and it further whet his appetite to play for the Yanks come February at the Olympic Games in Italy. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Completely,' he said. 'I want nothing more than to be on that Olympic team and being a big piece of USA Hockey, making an impact on this game and taking a gold medal home.' Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman helped Team USA win the World Championship for the first time since 1933. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Of far more interest to Bruins fans, of course, is what version of Swayman they'll see in the months leading up to, and following, the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. He struggled in 2024-25, along with most everyone in Black and Gold. The hope throughout the organization now is that the gold-plated, refreshed version of the No. 1 backstop serves as a leverage point in getting the franchise back in the Stanley Cup chase. Advertisement On the eve of the championship game, after backing the US to its semifinal win over Sweden, Swayman said he felt 'rebirthed in a way' by the tournament. He repeated that sentiment Wednesday, while making clear what price a disappointing season extracted from him. 'The ups and down of the season definitely took a toll,' he said. 'The outside noise I was facing, with personal matters, and we weren't getting results as a team. I felt like I was going to the rink every day, doing what I needed to do, and still just wasn't getting results — I had to dig in deeper, had to find different ways to find a way to win, just feel good on the ice. This [playing for Team USA] was just a great way for me to do it.' Some of that outside noise, he noted, included the lingering narrative about his negotiations for a new contract (eight years/$66 million) and the late start to his training camp that came with it. His numbers slumped. So did his confidence. All of which had him eager of a mental reset as he headed to Europe for Uncle Sam. For a guy looking for a reset, a 'different mind-set,' as Swayman put it, it was good to be away with his fellow Americans, 'I truly felt it was a total mind-set thing,' Swayman said. 'I know I can play at this level. I know I can have success at this level. But my mind-set was something that was challenged this year, and what I got to experience with this tournament was, if I get my mind right, I'm pretty hard to score on — and that's something I could really build on.' Advertisement Swayman went 7-0-0 in the tournament, with a 1.69 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Although a relatively small sample size compared with the daily NHL grind, and largely against competition not of NHL caliber, it was a vast improvement over his Bruins season: 22-29-7, 3.11, .892. 'The hardest thing ever was letting other people down,' said Swayman. 'Not having confidence in myself, walking down the street and worrying about what other people are thinking, what other people are saying. That's not who I am. That's not who Jeremy is. And I just said, [expletive] that, I'm just going to carry myself with the demeanor that I'm here for a reason — I'm going to help this team win, I am going out to be who I am.' Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman went 7-0-0 at the World Championship. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff The contrast struck him, noted Swayman, when walking the streets of Denmark and Sweden, where people came up to him, asking for autographs and pictures. 'Two weeks [earlier], I would have been like, 'Why?' ' he said. 'I just changed my mind-set. I said, this is why, because I can have an impact on people and I can have an impact on the game of hockey, and it's an incredible opportunity. I have to enjoy it and embrace it.' To emphasize his point, Swayman emphatically snapped his fingers, just once, mirroring the click inside his head. Advertisement 'That's exactly what I did,' he said. 'Boom, I'm back. It was pretty amazing.' Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
