Mikaela Shiffrin lifts the ladies’s World Cup slalom title trophy on Saturday in Saalbach, Austria. Three days after her twenty ninth birthday, Shiffrin ended her difficult season in model, profitable the 97th World Cup of her illustrious profession. Her remaining slalom victory of the season got here six weeks after her downhill accident in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Marco Trovati/Associated Press
SAALBACH HINTERGLEM, Austria — Mikaela Shiffrin ended the season with a candy style in her mouth, and it was made even sweeter with an Austrian Sachertorte birthday cake that an enthusiastic member of her fan membership shocked her with.
Shiffrin, who declared that the opening slalom of the World Cup remaining in Saalbach, Austria, three days after her twenty ninth birthday, could be her final race of the 2023-24 season, will certainly participate in model, finishing her 97th World Cup received the race. An excellent profession. Her season-ending slalom win streak got here six weeks after her downhill accident in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
“It was really a really nice season. We had loads of actually nice races, and naturally we had accidents alongside the best way, so we had some tough moments,” Shiffrin stated after affected by a ligament damage in her left knee that she sustained in Italy. He talked about sprains. “I’d say it was a whole season, with all of the feelings, some tough occasions, but in addition successes.”
He added: “For me it was unfortunate at one level, however it was additionally very lucky that I used to be in a position to come again and race and the damage did not get any worse.” I used to be nonetheless in a position to come again, carry out properly and have a good time with the workforce. ”
On the race’s slopes, which have been made very mushy and mushy as a result of gentle temperatures and intermittent rain, Shiffrin skied like a assured champion, solely downhill for the second time. Her time was solely the thirteenth quickest of the 23 opponents, however it was sufficient to provide her a commanding victory over Norway’s Mina Fürst Holtmann by 0.54 seconds. . Shiffrin entered the beginning gate for the afternoon run trailing preliminary run chief Anna Swen-Larsson by 0.11 seconds and barely forward.
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Saturday’s victory in Saalbach was Shiffrin’s first race within the Austrian resort southwest of Salzburg and was her seventh slalom win of the season and sixtieth of her profession.
Shiffrin’s efficiency was complemented by one other scrumptious seasonal chocolate cake, as she baked a record-tying eighth spinning crystal globe. She received her eighth occasion title, beating Germany’s Lena Duer by 221 factors.
Mikaela Shiffrin bursts by way of the turning gate through the first run of the Women’s World Cup race on Saturday in Saalbach, Austria. No skier has received a World Cup in Austria like Shiffrin.Marco Trovati/AP Better than “Helminator”
Austria was a recipe for fulfillment for Shiffrin. She has completed on the rostrum in 22 of her 25 home World Cup slalom begins, profitable 14 of them. Additionally, the ski racer from Edwards has a complete of twenty-two Austrian Snow World Cup wins, essentially the most of any racer, surpassing Austrian legends Hermann Meyer and Ingemar Stenmark. 7 extra wins than her.
Shiffrin paid tribute to Austria, the ski racing mecca and its storied historical past within the sport.
“You need to do your finest within the basic races. The races listed here are so invaluable and account for a lot historical past within the sport,” Shiffrin stated. “There are numerous races the place I watched Hermann win, Marlies (Schild) and Marcel (Hirscher), Beni (Reich) and all the nice Austrian racers.”
Austria’s new World Cup slalom champion Manuel Ferrer stated he was excited to hitch Shiffrin on the prime of the slalom world this season.
“She’s the very best feminine skier on the planet and it is an actual honor to face subsequent to her, particularly since she skis for a similar model as me,” Ferrer stated. “This season, Atomic He has had loads of accidents for branded racers, so it was good to nonetheless reign supreme in slalom.”
Mikaela Shiffrin had an emotional second on the Saalbach press heart, thanking and hugging fan membership members from Austria and Germany.Brian Pinelli/For the Vail Daily sixth place general must wait
Perhaps the one draw back to Shiffrin’s stellar season was that an unlucky crash and damage setback brought about her to overlook key races and fall quick in her quest for the sixth general title of her profession. At one level, Shiffrin had a greater than 400-point lead within the general standings, and appeared on monitor to match Austrian legend Annemarie Moser-Pull’s six World Cup general wins.
“It’s not a straightforward factor to course of, however I feel loads of what I’ve discovered in life over the previous few years is that it’s important to settle for some issues,” Shiffrin stated. “Everyone is aware of I’d like to compete for the entire world within the World Cup finals, however that wasn’t the place I used to be in.”
Shiffrin was reflective and stated this season additionally taught her communication, endurance and belief.
“I’m pleased with this as a result of that is the place I’m, however I additionally suppose there’s loads of studying that I’m going to take with me this summer time in preparation (for subsequent season),” she stated. Told. . “It’s actually necessary for individuals to grasp that profitable the Globe isn’t any accident. So it doesn’t matter what occurred in my season, if I received the Globe, it is since you Because we earned it, and that is the identical factor for Lara (Gut Behrami).
Mikaela Shiffrin reacts after holding the World Cup girls’s slalom trophy in Saalbach, Austria, on Saturday. Shiffrin appeared on monitor to win her sixth general trophy, however she was injured on the downhill stretch and was sidelined for six weeks.Marco Trovati/Associated Press
Shiffrin completed the season with 1,409 factors, 245 factors forward of Gut-Behrami with three races remaining in Saalbach, and is properly on her approach to profitable her second general title.
“I’m going to proceed to work laborious this summer time and attempt to be ready to be in that battle once more subsequent season,” Shiffrin added.
When requested which was sweeter, the 97th championship or the do-it-yourself Sachertorte cake, Shiffrin, as sort as ever, replied with fun, “I have not tasted it but, however the cake might be higher.” She had an emotional second on the press heart in Saalbach, expressing her gratitude and hugging members of her Austrian and German fan golf equipment.
After celebrating in Austria and one other record-breaking season, Shiffrin was a bit depressed, however she met her boyfriend, Alexander Ahmot Kilde, and determined to “spend some high quality time along with her household at residence” in Colorado. He additionally expressed pleasure.
“I’m pleased to be right here proper now, however I’m a bit unhappy that the season is over for me, however I’m already trying ahead to subsequent yr,” Shiffrin stated.
Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates after profitable the World Cup slalom race on Saturday in Saalbach, Austria. On the precise is Norway’s Mina Ferst Holtmann, who got here in second place.
Marco Trovati/Associated Press
Mikaela Shiffrin competes within the first run of the Women’s World Cup slalom race in Saalbach, Austria on Saturday.
Alessandro Trovati/AP
Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates with Norway’s Mina Ferst Holtmann (left) and Sweden’s Anna Swen Larsson on Saturday in Saalbach, Austria.
Marco Trovati/Associated Press
Mikaela Shiffrin (foreground) of the United States, who received the Women’s Alpine Ski World Cup slalom race, and runner-up Swedish skier Anna Swen Larsson embrace in Saalbach, Austria, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
austrian alpine ski world cup
Mikaela Shiffrin holds up the ladies’s World Cup slalom trophy on Saturday in Saalbach, Austria.
Marco Trovati/Associated Press
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