After her hat-trick in Semmering, Mikaela Shiffrin is only missing two wins on Lindsey Vonn’s record and six on Ingemark Stenmark. But even then it is not finished.
In fact, the question of whether Mikaela Shiffrin will become the most successful skier of all time has long since ceased to exist. Lindsey Vonn and Ingemar Stenmark must have given up hope of being able to keep their records for too long. After her three victories in Semmering at the latest, it is only a matter of time before Shiffrin is number one in alpine skiing history.
Vonn has accepted her fate
The American has already celebrated 80 victories in the World Cup. As the most successful woman to date, Vonn has only had two more successes, and Stenmark has six more as the most successful man. The last time they stood at the top of the podium, however, they were each over 30 years old – for comparison: Shiffrin will only be 28 years old in March 2023. “In my eyes she is the best skier who ever lived. She will break my World Cup win record very quickly and become the tallest in history“Vonn said recently.
Lindsey Vonn from the USA with all the medals she has won in her career.
She could be that on her 28th birthday. Already at the beginning of the new year she has the chance to catch up with her former teammate and competitor Vonn. The next slalom races are on the agenda in Zagreb on January 4th and 5th – the discipline that was decisive in ensuring that Shiffrin would soon be able to climb the ski throne.
In the slalom, Shiffrin stands out again
She has already won slalom 50 times in her career, no one has ever managed that in a discipline before. This season she was the fastest woman in three out of five races. “She’s an incredible athlete. She has an almost perfect slalom technique“Vonn said about the ski queen well before her upcoming coronation.
Shiffrin himself should not think too much of such an award. She captivates by remaining humble despite all the successes, often even going so far as to plague her with self-doubt. But she managed to learn from defeats.
Mikaela Shiffrin is getting closer to Lindsey Vonn’s all-time record.
Changes after the Olympic meltdown
Like the ones at the Olympics in February, when she started three races as a favorite for gold but was eliminated from each. Shiffrin then returned to the World Cup without a medal and showed again that she is hard to beat in slalom and giant slalom. The be “one of the most difficult disciplines” for her – and yet it was enough for the world title, Olympic gold and 16 victories in the World Cup.
But she also wants to shine in the speed disciplines. Shiffrin has decided to start more often in the downhill and in the Super-G. That’s why she’s been on the road with two service men since this season – one takes care of the skis for slalom and giant slalom, one for the longer runs for downhill and super-G.
Shiffrin just wants to “be happy in the now”
Two weeks ago, Shiffrin demonstrated her exceptional talent in St. Moritz, winning a Super-G for the fifth time in her career. She also became world champion in this discipline in 2019 and won the small crystal globe in the same season. So far she has been the fastest woman in three downhills. Numbers that Shiffrin, who is best known for her outstanding technique, does not want to rest on.
In principle, however, even their record numbers “no special meaning” for her. After her third win in Semmering, Shiffrin said she “try to think of how to be happy in the now“. Wins seem to be a suitable means, and Shiffrin does not give the impression of having enough of it or conveying less joy after any of her successes. She celebrates every victory as if it were the first. That is what makes a ski queen .