It took 29 races and 11 seasons, but Mikaela Shiffrin had finally followed through on her best promise and completed a career Grand Slam.
🗣️:🗣️:
“I’m excited, not nervous, just because it’s Mikaela Shiffrin competing … I wanted to ski super-G this season, I was like ‘oh, maybe I can,’ and I didn’t, so I’m glad I could push myself that little bit in the slalom.” https://t.co/nRXVi4kzME pic.twitter.com/IMOqKSKMDj — Team USA (@TeamUSA) May 4, 2019
Shiffrin’s latest discipline was her first Grand Slam triumph and the 27-year-old American skier tied Ingemar Stenmark with her 69th career World Cup win.
Shiffrin also became the first female skier to win three slalom titles in a row, and she has 11 World Cup overall crowns. She equaled the record set by Renate Goetschl in 1983-84 and 1986-87.
Shiffrin’s feat was also a record for most career World Cup wins in women’s alpine skiing. Shiffrin had set the record last year, when she won 62 events.
“It feels good to finish the season on a really high note. I’m more excited, not nervous, just because it’s Mikaela Shiffrin competing. I wanted to ski super-G this season, I was like ‘oh, maybe I can,’ and I didn’t, so I’m glad I could push myself that little bit in the slalom,” Shiffrin said.
The 2014 Olympic gold medalist is the best all-around female skier, and Shiffrin’s season of domination included six victories at the World Cup finals in Are, Sweden, and her fifth Olympic gold. She owns eight World Cup slalom titles.
Shiffrin had retired from the sport before joining the long list of champions to return, first back with Amelia Earhart and later in baseball, football, hockey, basketball, auto racing and soccer.
But then came the revelation in January that she was sexually abused as a child. Shiffrin received well-wishes from the likes of the former Tiger Woods and Maria Sharapova.
Shiffrin’s highest finish at the World Cup finals was fourth. Her victory at Are featured two double-elimination runs, with the win and Olympic gold to finish off the regular season. The Norwegians are all out this weekend, and Shiffrin will have to keep up her domination to keep up with the usual challengers.
Shiffrin finished the last World Cup season in style and dominated through winter in the slalom. But there will be a new rule for next season: the women’s season opener will be a two-run race as opposed to one race with a top 20 and final eliminations in slalom.