- Mikaela Shiffrin won slalom gold in Cortina, Italy, by 1.5 seconds.
- This margin is the second-best in Olympic history for the sport.
- Shiffrin, now the most decorated Alpine skier, described the win as unique.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin is gold — again.
The superstar skier won the slalom event Wednesday in Cortina, Italy, and it was not by a thin margin.
She beat all other racers by a second and a half. That might not sound like a lot, but it is the second-best spread ever in the history of the sport at the Olympics.
In Wednesday's event, skiers went twice, and the times were added together. Shiffrin started the morning strong, coming in first, then closed out even stronger, blowing her competition away.
She collapsed onto her skis as she crossed the finish line. Then it was podium time.
This is Shiffrin's third gold medal, and when you add in her other accomplishments, she is history-setting as the most decorated Alpine skier ever.
After the race, KSL's Matt Gephardt asked her what this one meant.
"I don't think I can compare them," Shiffrin said. "It's all different and unique and so, so special."
Utah also had a showing at these Games, though she was not skiing for Team USA. Madison Hoffman skis for the Australian team, though she calls Utah home.
When Gephardt told her he was from Salt Lake City, she got excited and talked about how the NCAA was moving ski championships to Park City.
"I just want to say go Utes," Hoffman said. "They are hosting NCAAs. I skied for them for a couple years, which was very fun."
Hoffman finished a respectable 23rd on Wednesday in a race that had close to 100 participants.
But it was Mikaela Shiffrin's day.
"These moments are only ever earned. They're never given," Shiffrin said. "I'm just grateful for it all."
You might call this a redemption story for Shiffrin, who had a very rough Olympics in Sochi and also missed the podium earlier in these Games. In the end, though, she is going home with another gold necklace to add to her collection.
