With a record-breaking 87th World Cup win, American Mikaela Shiffrin solidified her place in skiing history.
With a slalom victory on Saturday in Are, Sweden, Shiffrin broke the previous record for both men and women held by Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark, who raced in the 1970s and 1980s. Shiffrin had matched Stenmark’s record the day before.
Since winning her first World Cup competition in a slalom in Are, Sweden, in 2012, Shiffrin has competed in 246 World Cup events. Her best competition is the slalom, which she has won 53 times. With 17 victories in the 2018–19 season, she now holds the record for a single season. Shiffrin has already won 13 World Cup events this season, securing her sixth global title.
Shiffrin was born in Vail, Colorado, but when she was eight years old, her family relocated to New Hampshire, where she began to train as a racer. She surpassed Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 female race victories in January.
One of the best skiers of all time, Stenmark, said in an interview with the Associated Press, “She is considerably superior than me. There is no comparison. She is well equipped. She is physically powerful, has superb technique, and a sound mind. She is so wonderful, in my opinion, because of how well everything works together. She can ski well in slalom, super-G, and downhill, which has also surprised me. I could never have been that proficient in every subject.”
In contrast to some of her colleagues, Shiffrin doesn’t seem to be slowing down. She will be 28 on Monday, and she is close to reaching 100 victories. Her sponsors, who pay her an estimated $4 million a year off the slopes from sponsorships and appearances and include Adidas, Atomic, Barilla, Land Rover, Oakley, and Visa, appreciate her as an inspiration. She was ninth on Sportico’s list of the highest-paid female athletes in 2021, therefore she just missed the threshold.
Shiffrin has gained the respect and adoration of her colleagues and admirers all around the globe thanks to her exploits on the slopes. In a statement congratulating Mikaela Shiffrin on her victory, Carla Murphy, worldwide general manager of Adidas Terrex, stated, “At Adidas, we believe that through sport, we have the potential to transform lives, and Mikaela Shiffrin is the epitome of that. “Mikaela is an inspiration for so many more people, defying the conventions and expectations of what is achievable every day. She is more than just a sports motivation for athletes and fans across the globe.”
Shiffrin has received $983,000 in prize money this season in addition to her sponsorships, which is almost three times as much as Sofia Goggia, who is placed second. Marco Odermatt of Switzerland is the top male finisher with $861,000.
Shiffrin has definitely established herself as one of the best skiers of all time as she prepares to wrap off her season at the World Cup Championships next week. Her legacy will undoubtedly motivate future generations of competitors.
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