Shiffrin, Olympic skiers rely on radio reports before racing

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP National Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin and other Alpine skiers at the Beijing Olympics get help from coaches and teammates who offer course reports before races. Those reports are usually given via two-way radios and offer a mix of information and motivation. Racers can get insights into the speed of a course or the conditions of the snow that day. Or they might be told how other racers are dealing with certain turns or jumps. Shiffrin says she finds these reports invaluable for events such as Tuesday’s downhill. That will be the first time she competes in Alpine’s fastest and most dangerous race at an Olympics.