Industry News
After the abrupt departure of Shiffrin’s long-term coach Mike Day, the US Alpine Ski Team announced today, that Karin Harjo will become Mikaela Shiffrin’s new head coach. Harjo had previously worked for the US Alpine Ski Team from 2011-2017. Karin Harjo is currently head coach of the Canadian women’s team and has taken the women’s team to new highs, as evidenced by Valerie Grenier’s World Cup victory in Giant Slalom this year and Laurence St Germain’s World Championship victory in Courchevel and Méribél, France.
- Related: Mikaela Shiffrin Parts Ways with Long-Time Coach in the Middle of the 2023 World Championships
Harjo has been a coach since 2000 with the Timberline Atomic Summer Ski Race Camps at Mount Hood, OR. She joined the US Ski Team as Head Wester Region Coach in 2011 and migrated from there to Assistant Women’s World Cup tech coach and then World Cup speed coach. Her ability to coach across tech and speed disciplines suits someone like Mikaela who excels across various Alpine disciplines and she has worked with Shiffrin in the past.
“I am beyond excited and humbled by the opportunity to work with Mikaela in this capacity. I started my World Cup coaching career working with the U.S. women’s tech team, and have always been impressed with Mikaela’s focus, resilience and dedication to the process. Her work ethic is second to none, and I’m looking forward to working with her in this next stage of her career. The thing that strikes me the most about Mikaela is that she has already achieved so much, but she still knows there’s still room for betterment. I like to think I approach my coaching career in this way, and I’m so looking forward to working together with Mikaela and the team.”
– Karin Harjo
Mikaela Shiffrin states on her social media channels that she is very excited to be working with Karin Harjo again. Harjo is one of the few female alpine coaches in the world. Mikaela Shiffrin emphasizes:
“I’m really looking forward to working with Karin again, this time more directly as my new head coach. For a large part of my career, I’ve gotten to work with her here and there with her positions on the women’s tech team and then speed team in more recent years. I’ve witnessed her exceptional work ethic, her ability to work well with other coaches, and most importantly her connection and dedication to her athletes. I believe she can add a huge benefit to my program in the coming years and will provide a fresh and new way of thinking as we move forward.”
Mikaela Shiffrin
Harjo will finish the World Cup season with the Canadian Women’s Alpine Team and join Shiffrin and her team in Kvitfjell, Norway, in April for the spring testing camp.
