BEIJING (AP) 鈥� When for the first Olympic downhill of her career on Tuesday, she will do so with a mind filled with all manner of insights 鈥� from taking training runs; from watching videos; from that morning鈥檚 chance to slowly inspect the hill, gate by gate; and, particularly right before racing, from things passed along by U.S. coaches or teammates via two-way radio.
Those radio reports, often called course reports, offer a mix of information and motivation and constitute a key part of how Alpine skiers get ready to throw themselves along slick slopes at speeds that can top 75 mph (120 kph) at World Cup and Winter Games events.
It鈥檚 not exactly the same timing or setup, but think of it as similar to the way an NFL assistant coach communicates with a quarterback through a one-way speaker between plays or a NASCAR driver receives radioed instructions from a crew chief throughout a day鈥檚 trip around an oval.
In ski racing, the reports can offer a new perspective just before the clock starts running.
Shiffrin calls it 鈥渋nvaluable鈥� for her, especially in the downhill, where she has less experience than in her specialties of slalom and giant slalom.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just about listening and processing it without overthinking, because that also makes it hard if you stiffen up,鈥� the two-time Olympic gold medalist from Colorado said session. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so awesome to talk through the track with the coaches and the other girls, as well. We鈥檝e had quite a bit of discussion about how certain places run and what we think is the line. I tend to shoot for a little more aggressive line in some spots, and today I kind of found out I need to give a little more to get more afterward.鈥�
Some racers swear by course reports, which of the snow, the way certain turns or jumps are presenting themselves, how parts of the course might be bathed in light or shrouded by shadows. And on and on.
Some find the whole exercise a bit unnecessary.
鈥淢e, personally, I like to have as (little) noise as possible, so I don鈥檛 take that much. But I give a lot," Norwegian racer Lucas Braathen said. "Some teammates, for sure, they totally rely on it. For many, that鈥檚 very crucial.鈥�
Some prefer to hear from coaches, who might climb a tree or prop themselves on a rock adjacent to the course for a better view of the fastest route.
Some prefer to hear from a specific teammate with whom they鈥檝e built a rapport.
For American Bode Miller, whose six Olympic Alpine medals are tied for second-most in the sport鈥檚 history, that teammate was Daron Rahlves.
鈥淲e spent a lot of time and energy developing the proper vocabulary and understanding of what the other person meant or needed," Miller said. "In my case, it was primarily the athletes and their reports that helped me 鈥� or when they were missing, I was feeling that they were missing.鈥�
That鈥檚 why Swiss racer Marco Odermatt鈥檚 first-run work was not quite done after he cut through the haze of fog and snow to ski across the finish line with the fastest opening leg in the men鈥檚 giant slalom Sunday.
He found a member of Switzerland鈥檚 staff and used her radio to deliver a message to skiers whose trips down the slope were yet to come.
鈥淚 just tried to tell my friends up there they have to fight,鈥� . 鈥溾�楾he feeling is bad. You just have to push and fight, fight, fight until the very last gate.鈥欌��
Atop the hill, racers can watch what's happening on TV. That allows them to get some sense of how things are going.
Still, there鈥檚 also something to be said for hearing a first-hand account, particularly on a day like Sunday, when visibility was nil.
It was tough to see ahead beyond the upcoming gate, hard to pick up ruts or other potential obstacles under the freshly fallen flakes underfoot.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really have a good sense of how it skis until you talk to someone who鈥檚 been on it or you鈥檙e on it yourself,鈥� said U.S. skier River Radamus, who finished fourth behind Odermatt. 鈥淚 tried to convey to the guys that the top section pulls a lot more than it looks, swings up, and then that whole middle section was a lot straighter, a lot easier, than I think we saw in inspection."
Sometimes smaller teams will share reports with each other.
Part of the calculus for coaches is also whether it might be better to not pass along every tidbit and overload a racer鈥檚 head just before a run begins.
鈥淚f you are talking about something that鈥檚 going to happen in the last five gates of a course, then you still have to get through the first 45 gates of the course to get there," said Mike Day, Shiffrin鈥檚 main coach with the U.S. ski team. "So is that going to be in her head the entire time?鈥�
At Shiffrin鈥檚 first World Cup appearance this season, in October, Day noticed that a late turn in the second run of a giant slalom was giving a lot of racers trouble.
Set up toward the bottom of the slope so he could scout it and offer help based on what he saw as other athletes zoomed by, Day considered relaying this to Shiffrin.
鈥淒ecided not to. And she ultimately executed fine in that section. When those additional reports come, they can be stressful for a racer,鈥� Day said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to hear something that you weren鈥檛 expecting to hear or even a reminder about something that you already talked about.鈥�
Turned out OK that day: Shiffrin won.
鈥淪he is so intuitive and clever with how she approaches racing,鈥� Day said. 鈥淲hen we鈥檙e giving a course report, it鈥檚 less about specific elements of the course and more about firing her up and making sure that she feels 100% confident and ready to go.鈥�
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AP Sports Writers Andrew Dampf and Pat Graham contributed to this report.
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Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
