Mikaela Shiffrin, 30, has been working with a psychologist to 'desensitize' herself to the Olympics.
What happened?
She did this to better manage the pressure of the competition.
Why it matters for Mikaela Shiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin has had wildly different Olympic experiences, and she wants to be able to show up on race day with the right mentality and skiing.
What comes next?
She has structured her life around staying physically and mentally ready at all times, including avoiding alcohol for two years.
Mikaela Shiffrin is widely considered the greatest alpine ski racer of all time, with 108 World Cup wins.
On Wednesday, she earned another gold medal in slalom, her first Olympic victory since 2018.
She deliberately avoided social media in the lead-up to her races at the Winter Olympics to stay focused.
Mikaela Shiffrin chose not to 'set expectations' for herself heading into the Milan Cortina Games, which helped her ski her best.
She told podcast host Kylie Kelce that getting ready for the Olympics took years of work, much of it away from cameras and crowds.
Mikaela Shiffrin even visited Paris two summers ago to get a feel for the Olympic atmosphere and 'desensitize' herself to it.
It still throws her off that something she's trained for over years can be decided in seconds, like her 47-second slalom run.
Mikaela Shiffrin made her Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi Games at age 18, winning her first Olympic gold in slalom and becoming the youngest athlete in history to do so.
She has spoken about the steps she takes to stay focused, including working with her psychologist and avoiding social media.
Mikaela Shiffrin's hard work and dedication have paid off, with her earning another gold medal in slalom at the Olympics.