Olympic champion ski racer Shiffrin dealing with back issue

By HOWARD FENDRICH and PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writers

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin tells the AP she is not able to ski and prepare the way she would like to currently because of a hurt back. She likens the problem to “a very severe muscle spasm or kind of a strain” in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. The Alpine star said she hasn’t “really been able to do much of any skiing at all” since Oct. 23. That is when she won the season-opening giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, for her 70th career World Cup victory. The 26-year-old American is expected to be one of the main faces of the Beijing Games in February.