Shiffrin Secures Record Ninth Slalom Title Amidst Olympic Preparations and Personal Triumphs
Mikaela Shiffrin has secured her ninth World Cup slalom season title, becoming the first skier in history to achieve this milestone in a single discipline. As she leads the women's World Cup circuit, Shiffrin is also preparing for her fourth Olympic appearance in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, an event that follows a period of significant personal challenges and recovery from injury.
Record-Breaking Season Performance
Shiffrin claimed her ninth career World Cup slalom season title, setting a new record for the most season titles in a single discipline across World Cup history. This achievement surpasses the eight titles held by Lindsey Vonn in downhill, and Ingemar Stenmark and Marcel Hirscher in slalom and overall, respectively.
In the most recent slalom event before the upcoming Milan Cortina Games, held at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Shiffrin won both runs. She finished 1.67 seconds ahead of runner-up Camille Rast and over two seconds ahead of Germany's Emma Aicher.
This victory marked her seventh win from eight slaloms this season and followed her first giant slalom podium finish in two years. She currently holds a significant 288-point lead over Rast in the season standings; the only slalom she did not win this season was triumphed by Rast.
Shiffrin's career records include 71 slalom race wins and 108 overall World Cup wins, both records for men and women. She secured her first slalom globe in March 2013 and made her World Cup debut at Spindleruv Mlyn at age 15 in March 2011.
Olympic Preparation and Event Schedule
Shiffrin is set to compete in her fourth Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
She plans to participate in three events: slalom, giant slalom, and the team combined event. Her previous Olympic achievements include a slalom gold medal in 2014, making her the youngest skier to win Olympic slalom gold at 18, and a giant slalom gold in 2018. She did not complete her technical events or achieve a podium finish at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Her announced Olympic schedule includes:
- Giant slalom on February 15
- Slalom on February 18
- Team combined event (date to be announced)
The women's World Cup circuit is scheduled to continue in Crans-Montana with a downhill and a super-G before the Olympics. Shiffrin has expressed that her return to Cortina feels less nerve-wracking than anticipated earlier in the season, while acknowledging a fear of disappointment.
Personal Challenges and Recovery
Shiffrin's career has continued despite significant personal challenges, including the unexpected death of her father in 2020 after a fall, which led to a 10-month hiatus from racing. Her mother, Eileen Shiffrin, had expressed concerns about her return to the sport during that period. Following the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Shiffrin began working with a psychologist to process grief.
Additionally, she sustained an abdominal injury during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, which involved a complete piercing of her abdominal wall and required months for recovery. This incident resulted in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which affected her ability to ski giant slalom without subconscious hesitation. Remarkably, she has since secured a World Cup podium finish in giant slalom after this recovery.