What Mikaela Shiffrin still wants to achieve

Taking her foot off the gas in the season that begins on Saturday in Sölden without a major event is out of the question for the 28-year-old piste dominator. The American assured that she wasn't finished yet.

“I want to see how far I can go in this sport. How much faster can I ski? I have the feeling that I'm still getting faster," said Shiffrin, who first equaled Ingemar Stenmark's World Cup victory record last year and then set a new fabulous record with 88 World Cup victories (14 of them in 2022/23). She “felt a clarity that was pretty spectacular,” Shiffrin noted before her 13th full season in the World Cup. At the end she could have caught up with record woman Annemarie Moser-Pröll (6 overall World Cup victories).

Became a sports superstar Bare numbers no longer do justice to the five-time overall World Cup winner, two-time Olympic champion, seven-time world champion and slalom queen (53 victories). During the summer break, Shiffrin was honored by the renowned “Time Magazine” as one of the world's 100 most influential personalities in 2023; she is currently the only global ambassador for alpine skiing. The fact that her view of the world doesn't stop at the red-blue tilt-pole forest has helped her sharpen her profile as a superstar in recent years. “I want to see how far I can go in this sport.” Mikaela Shiffrin In terms of sport, Shiffrin is probably at the zenith of her career at 28 years old. “I will live a happy life even without another gold medal, and I think that shows quite clearly where I am in my career,” Shiffrin recently told the Reuters news agency. “I am happy to say this because it is the final step for many athletes in their careers.”

One heart and one soul: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Mikaela Shiffrin. © ANSA / Guillaume Horcajuelo

Shiffrin cited Novak Djokovic as an example. “Olympic gold is the only thing he hasn’t achieved yet,” Shiffrin said of the Serbian tennis star. “I consider myself lucky to be able to say: Basically, I have won enough (gold). But my hunger for success is still there, no question about it.”

Losing tension is also dangerous in top-class sport. “I feel like a lot of athletes get injured in mid-seasons because they take their foot off the gas,” said Shiffrin, who has managed to stay without a serious injury so far. “One of my biggest goals for this year is not to be complacent.”

Focus on speed Another goal lies in the fast profession, because in the downhill she wants to challenge the very best around Sofia Goggia even more. “I trained for more speed again in the summer, so I can still improve a lot.” In the previous season, the all-rounder made it into the top 7 in all five downhill starts, but never made it onto the podium. It remains to be seen how many of the 45 races she will tackle. If everything goes as usual in the overall World Cup, Shiffrin will again miss out on one or two destinations.

The job of making today's dominant skier even better is now being carried out by the Norwegian Karin Harjo - alongside assistant coach Mark Mitter and mother Eileen. She was most recently head coach of the Canadian women's team, succeeding Mike Day, from whom Shiffrin unexpectedly separated during the World Cup in February. Harjo previously worked for the US ski team from 2011 to 2022. She is valued by Shiffrin above all for her experience in “logistical matters” and for her “incredible knowledge in the areas of analysis and data processing”.

Harjo's commitment suits Shiffrin in her desire to put more women in the spotlight in skiing. “Maybe at this stage in my career I can give other women in the ski world or in leadership positions an idea of what they can aspire to,” Shiffrin said. “I think it’s important to show women that there is a place and a path for them.”

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What Mikaela Shiffrin still wants to achieve

Mikaela Shiffrin has nothing left to prove. “To be honest, there is nothing left on my to-do list,” said the most successful alpine skier of all time. Nevertheless, she has clear ideas.

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