Eighteen-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin has lived up to her reputation as the pre-race favorite by winning the gold medal in women's slalom at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
She's the youngest ever winner, male or female, of an Olympic slalom gold medal, The Associated Press says. The previous holder of that honor: "Paoletta Magoni of Italy, who won gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Games when she was 19."
Friday's slalom silver medal in Sochi went to Marlies Schild of Austria. Third place, and the bronze medal, went to Kathrin Zettel of Austria.
As NPR's Robert Smith said earlier today on Morning Edition, "when Shiffrin skis the slalom, it's like watching a tango dancer." Her upper body barely moves, while her legs "smoothly shoot out to the side" and around the gates.
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