Julia Mancuso Fails to Medal in Women's Downhill Final at Sochi 2014

Julia Mancuso failed to ride the wave of momentum to another medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The American was coming off a bronze in the women's super combined, but wasn't able to reach the podium again in the downhill.

NBC Olympics provided word of Mancuso's latest result:

Mancuso entered the Olympics with a lack of hype despite her previous success at the Games. Her medal performances in both 2006 and 2010 showed the big stages always seems to bring the best out of her, at this year was no different at the outset.

She put together a tremendous downhill showing in the first part of the super combined event to take a sizable lead into the slalom. Even though her run in the second half was average at best, it was still enough to add a bronze medal to her collection.

The U.S. Olympic Team also noted it made her the country's first skier to land on the podium at three different Games:

When you combined her great run in the downhill half of the super combined with her experience, it was easy to see why she was one of the top contenders heading into the event.

Mancuso also sports plenty of self-belief. It's something she talked about after winning bronze in her first event, as passed along by Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post:

I've always just had that real belief that I can do it. For me, putting out these dreams and beliefs that I can come in here and have a medal, and everyone being a little skeptical and just knowing in my heart that I can do it, was kind of like crossing the finish line being like, 'See, it works! Believing in yourself really works!'

Given her Olympic success, it's hard to argue with her mantra.

Unfortunately for Mancuso, she wasn't able to capture another medal in the downhill. After putting everything on the line during the super combined, she just wasn't able to muster another elite performance to end up on the podium again.

It's a disappointing result given her downhill greatness during the super combined. That said, even if she leaves Sochi with just one medal around her neck that will be a success. So anything more from this point forward would be a bonus.

She has already added to her legacy of being one of the top American skiers in Winter Olympic history. Failing to medal in the downhill doesn't change that as she looks ahead to her remaining events.

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Bode Miller Fails to Medal in Men's Downhill Final at Sochi 2014 Olympics

Bode Miller, who was one of the top contenders in the men's downhill event, failed to earn a place on the podium Sunday. The American's eighth-place finish was a major disappointment on Day 2 of the 2014 Olympics after he saw so much success four years ago.

Making his fifth Olympic appearance for the United States, the 36-year-old was coming off his best Games after winning three medals, including a gold, in Vancouver.

He was confident about his chances in 2014. Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post provided comments from the skier ahead of the competition. Miller felt his preparation was putting him in a position to succeed:

I'd say I have a lot more experience. I know what the process is. It's easy for guys who are so excitable to push too hard, to do too much too early. I definitely know that winning a training run doesn't matter much. I've done that so many times. I think I have a good process for how to build into a race.

Unfortunately for Miller, things didn't play out as he hoped. Coming up short of the podium amid such high expectations is shades of 2006, when he arrived to Turin, Italy, with plenty of hype but failed to win a single medal.

Make no mistake: The Sochi course was providing a formidable test for the skiers. Miller had solid training runs, though, and appeared poised to bring home another medal.

A lack of regular competition over the past couple of years due to a knee injury could have been a factor. He hasn't needed that extra gear as often as he would have probably liked in between Olympics, but he arrived to Sochi healthy and ready to go.

In the end, it simply didn't translate into success in the downhill, the first Alpine skiing event of the Games. It shows that the margin for error, even for the top athletes in any discipline, is extremely thin on the Olympic stage.

The failure to medal in the downhill event will put extra pressure on Miller for the rest of the Olympics, but as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! notes, his best opportunities to medal are in front of him:

If he can bounce back, the event will become an afterthought. If not, it will get viewed as the start of another frustrating Games for the American.

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