Industry News
After experiencing so much success in one season, it’s hard to believe there could be any more records to break, but Mikaela Shiffrin made history once again on Saturday in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic when she earned her 15th FIS Ski World Cup victory of the season, and her career 58th win, reports US Ski and Snowboard.
Having already clinched the overall World Cup title, Shiffrin broke a mark held for 30 years by Vreni Schneider of Switzerland, who secured 14 wins during the 1988-89 campaign. After finishing third in Friday’s giant slalom event, the two-time Olympic gold medalist said she was happy to bounce back to finish atop the podium Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
“Yesterday … I felt disappointment from the first (run),” Shiffrin said. “So today I wanted to not protect something, like ski with risks, ski to fight, and see what was possible. It was really fun to ski, both runs.”
Shiffrin has won at least four races in every season since 2013 and has tallied 38 over the last three years combined to establish herself as the sport’s most complete racer. Along with her Olympic and World Cup success, the American is a five-time FIS World Ski Championships gold medalist and has won the last four slalom world titles.
It only seemed fitting that on the same track Shiffrin skied her first-ever World Cup slalom in 2011 as a mere 15-year-old, she’d break yet another record, and this time, a big one: Vreni Schneider’s season win record of 14 victories. Shiffrin secured the 15th World Cup victory of what has been a storybook season. This is an achievement no man or woman has ever done before. The ever-understated Shiffrin, who has won 38 victories in the last three seasons, still seems to be surprising herself with the success.
“What can I say…that’s crazy,” Shiffrin laughed. “If you told me eight years ago at this race – my first race in World Cup – that I would be in this position right now, I wouldn’t believe it. It’s really, really special. My whole team – we’re celebrating it a lot – because it’s been an amazing year, it’s been an amazing career so far. But, at the same time, records are meant to be broken, and maybe me achieving this one will inspire a little girl who could beat my record someday. That’s what’s really important to me.”
Up next, the women will travel to Soldeu, Andorra for World Cup Finals, where Shiffrin is expected to contend for both the super-G and giant slalom globes to add to her already overwhelming and nearly inconceivable collection of records, medals and trophies this season.
Your photo is of Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, not Shiffrin (perhaps the Swiss uniform might have been a giveaway?).
bib 3 is Wendy Holdener from Switzerland not Shiffrin…