Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin recently became the most decorated skier across both male and female competitions after completing a whopping 88 World Cup victories. So, what happens after making history?
When the Olympian surpassed Inegmar Stenmark’s career record in alpine skiing, everyone obviously wanted to know how she was feeling, what emotions led up to her 88th victory, and what comes after. Sitting down to talk with various media outlets, Shiffrin first discussed where the World Cup record came from: her genuine love for skiing and wanting to advance in the sport.
In fact, she wasn’t concerned about breaking the record at all and preferred to focus on the basics of skiing. “It’s been a little bit challenging because everybody has been talking so much about the record…but when I’m skiing, the feeling that I get is something I can focus on because I love it so much,” Shiffrin told NBC Sports.
“Making a really strong, powerful fast turn is kind of hard to explain, but it’s like you step on the accelerator of a really nice car, and you’re just like, whoa. … It’s just a cool feeling. If I really hyper-focus on that, then everything else kind of falls away.”
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Staying humble, Shiffrin even admitted being called the greatest skier of all time is a strange feeling. During a recent interview with TODAY, many openly referred to her as the best alpine skier in history because her records largely prove this to be true, but the 28-year-old was hesitant to claim the title.
Mikaela Shiffrin says, ‘it’s weird’ to hold the record for most alpine wins of all time.
“It’s weird,” she said of making history. “I don’t know if I actually really think of it that way. But it’s certainly flattering… It’s quite incredible to have achieved this. I never thought I was going to be anywhere near that record.”
Continuing, the TODAY host asked her about overcoming adversity in the world of skiing, likely referencing the fact that she lost her father over three years ago and still struggles with grief every day. According to Shiffrin herself, being able to have a successful season doesn’t make setbacks any more challenging. Rather, there will always be good days and bad days. “Life has ups and downs,” she explained.
With this being said, at her young age, the skier still has a lot of time left to continue dominating the slopes. After being away from her home since September for the season, Shiffrin is admitted she’s simply “going to make some popcorn” when she gets back to her house.
