Mikaela Shiffrin tells CNN what its like to race toward skiing immortality
Mikaela Shiffrin, the greatest woman alpine skier of all-time, secured her 84th World Cup win and is now just two victories shy of tying the overall record holder Ingemar Stenmark from Sweden. Shiffrin and CNN’s Amanda Davies caught up after Shiffrin’s record-extending victory on Wednesday.
With her 83rd win, she broke Lindsey Vonn’s record for most women’s World Cup titles.
It takes something special to win races. It takes something else entirely to break records.
In December 2012 a 17-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin took her first World Cup win.
Today she secured number 83, and a place in the history books with the greatest number of World Cup gold medals won by any female. Ever. What if you could actually go back in time, and tell yourself what will happen in your own future? Would you choose to know?
Or would you choose to be surprised… to find out along the way?
83 wins is unbelievable
The most successful FEMALE skier in history* Stenmark still has more wins.
Unreal! One more record to break then it’s all over. Absolutely stunning dominance…greatest of all time, every discipline. Just stunning. But it’s only a matter of time before
she will break the Stenmark record and to become the ultimate GOAT of alpine skiing.
Congrats Mikaela!
Shiffrin said her admiration for Stenmark wouldn’t change even if she pass his record. “His name is in history as a legend of the sport that people will remember forever,” she told reporters after her victory on Tuesday. “Maybe they’ll remember him longer than they’ll remember me. We’re all still talking about him. That’s a pretty incredible mark
to leave on the sport.”
Yesterday is history and Tomorrow is a mystery.
But today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.
I’m not sure who said that first, I know it from Kung Fu Panda
I think. I like mysteries. Even though it feels like I might pass out from the uncertainty sometimes. History… is just a step along the way, for all of us. That thought gives me hope, for the first time since Feb 2, 2020, that I might have amazing things to look forward to in the future.
The best in the world
️️ La️
That the best times in my life might not be behind me.
Today was truly a gift. I’m so thankful for it.
I’m thankful for the chance to celebrate for a moment with people I love, people I work with everyday who make it possible, teammates and friends, competitors and some of my favorite people in the world near and far.
I’m thankful for the mystery and I’m thankful for the history.
And now, I’m moving right along. Instagram
Soak it all in and enjoy your accomplishment! CONGRATS
And here is the Run that crowned @mikaelashiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin (@mikaelashiffrin) • Instagram photos and videos
the most successful female skier in the history of skiing
Smoothest technique I have ever seen. Absolutely effortless
83 races won … soon 86 like Ingemar Stenmark
Mikaela Shiffrin makes history, breaks Lindsey Vonn’s
record for skiing World Cup wins (msn.com)
Lindsay Vonn will stay in history as the Speedqueen; she sits here 82 World Cup Victories only at Speed competitions. This is quite harder to reach, because Speed events are often cancelled because of weather conditions. Both are great women at the skiworld. Mikaela is more versatile and competes in many different competitions than Linsay. She is the most complete skier in the current time. It’s great to watch her.
Vonn has only one less win in Giant then Miss Shiffrin has in Downhill. They are both
all round skiers but Miss Shiffrin is best in slalom and Miss Vonn is best in Downhill.
But the downhill is more dangerous, do you know why she had a winning streak, than
the last few weeks or something hardly podiumed. And now winning again.
Lindsey Vonn to Mikaela Shiffrin: My door is always open – YouTube
As skiers, Vonn and Shiffrin are a study in contrast: Vonn was a daredevil, a speed demon, often crashing wildly into fences. She thrived in the speed events — the downhill and super-G. Shiffrin’s impeccable technique allows her to excel in the technical races, the slalom and giant slalom, but she’s swift and versatile enough to be the only skier to have won a race in all six World Cup disciplines — the downhill, super-G, slalom, giant slalom, combined, and parallel slalom.
Shiffrin matched Vonn’s 82 wins on Jan. 8 by triumphing in a giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, the 233rd World Cup race of her career. Vonn needed 395 races to reach that mark. Shiffrin finished second in a slalom on Jan. 10 in Austria in her first attempt to pass Vonn. “I knew from the very beginning that she would be the one to break all the records.
But to do it at such a young age is really impressive,” Vonn said in a diary she wrote for the Associated Press. “Catching Ingemar Stenmark’s men’s mark of 86 wins was always the ultimate goal for me, but with the injuries I sustained it just wasn’t possible. For her, the sky’s the limit. I don’t think that Stenmark is necessarily the benchmark. She’s going to set the new standard and we’ll have to wait and see how high she can go.”
Mikaela Shiffrin Opens Up on Lindsey Vonn, Olympics & Pressure | Sports Illustrated
After Shiffrin tied Vonn’s win total she screamed for joy, releasing the pent-up nerves that she said had ignited a rash on her face. But she later cried on the victory stand because it triggered memories of her father, Jeff, who died as the result of head injuries he suffered in a fall in Colorado in February 2020.
Jeff Shiffrin, 65, was an anesthesiologist by trade and a photographer by hobby, known for snapping photos of his daughter on the World Cup trail. Shortly before her first World Cup win, in 2012, he told her to memorize the words of “The Star Spangled Banner,” “because if you ever win, you better sing it.” She added, “And so I always think about him when I’m up there.
”
His death initially plunged her into a depression. She considered quitting. “There was a really long time that I didn’t really feel like it was worth it to care about anything,” she said in a 2021 interview on the “Today” show, “so it seemed like I’m not going to ski race again because the most fundamental thing of an athlete is that you have to care about your sport and you have do care about doing well at your sport, and I just didn’t.”
She slowly regained her passion. Winner of Olympic gold in the slalom in 2014 and gold in the giant slalom and silver in the combined in 2018, she went to the Beijing Games with great expectations. For reasons she still can’t explain, she skied out on the first run of the giant slalom and slalom races, finished ninth in the Super-G, 18th in the downhill, and clipped a gate and crashed out early in the slalom portion of the combined event. In the mixed team parallel event she was part of a fourth-place finish for the U.S.
“There’s going to be a whole chaotic mess of crap that people are saying about how I just fantastically failed these last couple of weeks in the moments that actually counted,” she said after the combined event. “It’s really strange, but I’m not even afraid of that right now and maybe it’s because I don’t have any emotional energy to give anymore.”
Yet she found the motivation to return to the World Cup circuit after
the Games and win her fourth overall title. She’s leading this year, too.
Shiffrin refused to be defined by her Olympic failures.
She got back up, stronger than ever. GOATS do that.
Different disciplines? (I don’t know that much about alpine skiing)
I’d say 3 main reasons
1. Yes, discipline. There are 4 main disciplines in alpine; she has the most talent
for technical ones like this one (SL & GS) and the last few races were not these.
2. It is extremely difficult to be consistent in this sport. So, even if she’s amazing
and exceptional we can’t expect her to win every race of a season. Also because…
3. Skiing is an outside sport, so you have to adapt to conditions. It is very rare
to see athletes able to win in any condition (snow texture etc).
Mikaela Shiffrin breaks all-time women’s Alpine skiing World Cup record (nbcnews.com)
She’s one of them but she’s still human. It has been so amazing to watch her progression. She’s got a smaller build and was a natural at slalom, but early on struggled with the speed events. You can see how her hard work both on the slopes and in the gym has led to her progression as a threat in the speed disciplines. Add her new speed abilities with her natural technical talent and she dominates All aspects of the sport. Truly amazing.
Many slalom racers lose some quick twitch and put on weight, if Mikaela ages
a touch will we still adore her speed prowess. Now think of 6 yrs to equal the age of the other 80 somethings, potential 180 starts and Mikaela’s 33% accomplishments to date. WOW!!! Such a gracious and humble champion.
Great accomplishment for a great human being !
️
I’m pretty sure that was smoke, not snow, coming off her skis at the end.
Being the best technical skier makes the statement you’re the Greatest.
We aren’t the best at everything, but the US sure does produce some incredible athletes.
Proud to be
She is a true gift to the world of skiing. A true professional & humble champion!!!
Forever the one! Txs Mickaëla!
You Are the Goat!! Mikaela Shiffrin – YouTube
P.S. New episode dropped on YouTube today…
Congratulations Mikaela
This is what great achievements are all about.
LOVE Mikaela
#UnitedBySummits
#ImpossibleIsNothing