It was rather disappointing.
After all the build-up to see one of the greatest athletes in giant slalom try and defend his gold medal from 2014, Ted Ligety just didn't have the speed.
Ligety finished in 15th on Saturday in PyeongChang, and he dug himself in a hole right away. He finished more than 2 seconds behind the leader after completing his first run. His combined time from his two runs was 2 minutes and 18.04 seconds. It was 3.21 seconds slower than Marcel Hirscher, the gold medal winner.
The five-time World Cup champion in giant slalom didn't live up to his "Mr. GS" nickname, a name he got for his dominance in the sport.
Ligety told the AP after the race that he knew it wasn't his best run, but he didn't think it was that bad.
"I was really surprised when I saw the time," he said to the AP. "Nothing to blame but myself for that first run. Second run, I tried to step it up a little bit more, but just didn't have the speed and the legs today, I guess."
Ligety, 33, has dealt with several health issues over the past couple years. He had screws put into his wrist and tore the ACL in his right knee. Plus, he needed back surgery to repair herniated discs. But on Sunday, he said none of that was bothering him.
It's not the end of the road for Ligety. He still plans to race next year, but he told the AP he's not sure if he has another four years left in him to try and compete at Beijing at age 37. No one over 36 has won an Olympic medal in the sport.
"I don't know if I'm going to keep going for another four years. But I know for sure I'm going to race next year, and we'll see after that."
