Shiffrin 5th after Olympic combined downhill; has medal shot

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP National Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin is in position to contend for her first medal of the Beijing Olympics in her fifth and final individual race in China. The American has made it through the downhill leg of the Alpine combined. The combined adds times from one downhill run and one slalom run. The two-time Olympic champion was fifth fastest of the 26 entrants in the downhill. She is a little more than half a second behind leader Christine Scheyer of Austria. Shiffrin was sixth and nearly two seconds behind after the downhill four years ago at the Pyeongchang Games and came away with a silver medal.