Mikaela Shiffrin wins record 83rd World Cup race to break tie with former teammate Lindsey Vonn

Mikaela Shiffrin is now the winningest female skier in history after earning her 83rd World Cup victory Tuesday in Italy to break a tie with former American teammate Lindsey Vonn.

“I don’t think there are words to explain all the feelings,” Shiffrin said. “In the end, it’s like there’s too much emotion to feel. I don’t know if that makes sense. So it’s something you can’t explain. So I try to breathe a little and enjoy it.’

Vonn’s career came to an end four years ago due to injury, opening the door for Shiffrin to dominate the sport.

Shiffrin now only needs three more wins to match Ingemark Stenmark’s overall mark, between men and women, of 86 wins. Stenmark competed in the 1970s and 1980s.

American Mikaela Shiffrin competes in the first heat of the women’s Giant Slalom on Tuesday.

Shiffrin led from start to finish at the Kronplatz resort in the Italian Dolomites, cruising 0.45 seconds ahead of world champion Lara Gut-Behrami and 1.43 ahead of local favorite and former overall champion Federica Brignone.

Shiffrin posted the fastest first run and was thus the last skier to run in the second run.

“I was a little bit nervous for the second race, but mostly I hate waiting,” Shiffrin said. “Finally, when it was time to go, it was like everything went quiet, and I just pushed as hard as I could through every turn.” It was quite surprising to get to the finish and see that he was quite fast. Because I could hear that the other athletes were skiing well. I thought, ‘I could lose this, so I’d better try to make a good ski run.’ And went.’

Shiffrin looked exhausted and relieved immediately after finishing, leaning over and resting her head on her canes, then bit her lip before hugging Gut-Behrami and Brignone.

Brignone told Shiffrin, “Congratulations,” and Shiffrin replied, “My God.”

Former teammates Lindsey Vonn (left) and Mikaela Shiffrin (right) appear in 2015

Team Mikaela Shiffrin takes first place and breaks Lindsey Vonn’s Alpine Ski World Cup record for wins (83) during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women’s Giant Slalom on Tuesday.

Unlike when she broke down in tears when she equaled Vonn’s record of 82 wins earlier this month in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Shiffrin kept her composure during a performance of her national anthem, belting out the lyrics.

A golden crown was then placed on his head.

It was Shiffrin’s ninth win of the season.

What’s more, Shiffrin is still only 27 years old and could have many more years of elite racing in his career. Vonn was 33 when he won his last World Cup event and Stenmark was 32.

“I feel very lucky to be her teammate in this era and to see her break history every day,” said Nina O’Brien, the only other American to finish 18th. “And she’s been very supportive as well. “.

The record also comes nearly a year after Shiffrin went medalless in six events at the Beijing Olympics after entering amid high expectations. It didn’t take long for him to bounce back from his performance in Beijing, claiming his fourth overall World Cup title at the end of last season.

She is now the most successful female skier of all time.

Shiffrin had to learn to deal with the nerves that come with leading the first race. “It’s still hard for me to believe that I apparently have the mental focus again to come back strong in the second race,” she said. ‘That’s something I don’t take for granted’

“That’s a very good image for the sport, for female alpine skiers,” said Tessa Worley, a two-time GS world champion. And she’s still doing amazing things. So it’s an inspiration for us to go and keep pushing.’

Shiffrin had to learn to deal with the nerves that come with leading the first race.

“It’s still hard for me to believe that apparently I have the mental focus again to come back strong in the second race,” he said. That’s something I don’t take for granted.

Shiffrin started his second run immediately after Gut-Behrami took the lead by a wide margin.

‘I watched it from the beginning and then I thought, ‘Why did I watch it? I can’t go that fast.” So, she was a little wild in places, but he felt so clean,” Shiffrin said. ‘I thought it wouldn’t be faster, but I thought maybe it could be close. And then somehow I made it to the end and it was pretty good.’

Shiffrin can quickly add to her total record in another giant slalom at Kronplatz on Wednesday. He then has two slaloms, his best event, having tallied 51 of his 83 wins, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, next weekend. That was where Shiffrin made his World Cup debut as a 15-year-old in March 2011.

If he wins his next three races, he could match Stenmark on Sunday.

After a short layoff, Shiffrin will once again be a multi-medal threat at the world championships in Courchevel and Meribel, France, which begin on February 6.

Team members comfort Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States after skiing in the first run of the women’s slalom at the 2022 Winter Olympics

Her success in 2022 and early 2023 comes after a disappointing Olympic performance in Beijing, where she failed to finish the Slalom or Giant Slalom, while placing 18th in the downhill and ninth in the Super G.

A visibly shaken Shiffrin struggled to explain her second shocking outing in a tearful interview with NBC at the time.

“I think I slipped,” Shiffrin told NBC. ‘I mean I had every intention of going full speed and there was no room on the course to… I don’t know, to slip, not even a little bit. I didn’t give myself space for that.

“I’ve never been in this position before,” the two-time Olympic gold medalist said, tears streaming down her cheeks, “and I don’t know how to handle it.”

The 27-year-old from Colorado previously won the Slalom at the 2014 Sochi Games and the Giant Slalom at the 2018 Pyeochgang Games.