Over her storied career, Mikaela Shiffrin has overcome obstacles and injuries, dealt with doubts and demons, including a case of post-crash PTSD, and landed in a good place as she heads into the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
It's not easy to sum up in a few words. But those close to the all-time winningest Alpine ski racer were asked by The Associated Press to explain what makes Shiffrin, well, Shiffrin in a simple word. Or two.
The first come from Shiffrin
herself, and they reflect her sense of humor in keeping the memories of the 2022 Beijing Games, where she went 0 for 6 in her pursuit of medals, at bay.
“I’m not going to lie — the Olympics have been wonderful to me," the two-time Olympic gold medalist cracked, “and they’ve been like a mosquito as well.”
“If you were to read a book on how you should ski, she executes it near flawlessly,” two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety said. “Mikaela executes on all the most technical basis — like a textbook."
For example: She's a rhythmic racer, almost hearing the melodic beat of a song as she weaves through the gates along a slalom course. That almost effortless form helped the 30-year-old American lock up the slalom title on Jan. 25, becoming the first skier in the six-decade history of the World Cup with nine season globes in one discipline.
“Success takes persistence,” said Karin Harjo, who's Shiffrin's head coach. “It is the willingness to keep going even when you don’t feel like it, when you want to bail on the one thing you are supposed to do, when you think you have it all figured out, when you win it all, or when it feels like the whole world is crashing down around you."
For example: Shiffrin suffered a severe puncture wound in November 2024 when she fell in a giant slalom race in Vermont. Whatever pierced her — there are several theories — just missed her abdominal wall and colon. It caused psychological turmoil, too — PTSD in the giant slalom, which she's working through to return to the top of her game in the discipline.
“The reason I say that word is that I just truly think Mikaela is the kindest person and I think it’s the one word that describes her best,” her mom, Eileen, said.
For example: She's always signing autographs. She frequently gives those prize-winning flowers and trophies to servicemen, sponsors, coaches, and even front-desk workers at hotels.
“She’s an incredible leader but she’s never afraid to jump in the bilge and get water out of the hull,” teammate Breezy Johnson said. “And she is the best of us but she’s also one of us."
For example: The first time at a World Cup venue can be daunting for a new teammate. So Shiffrin will watch video with the newcomers — with anyone, really — so they know the race course from her perspective.
“Whatever she does ... she does it in (the) highest possible level and still aims for more,” said Janne Haarala, who's another coach on Team Shiffrin.
For example: That includes away from skiing, too. She started a podcast called, “ What’s the Point with Mikaela Shiffrin." She also sings as well as plays the guitar and piano. Music was always a passion she shared with her late father, Jeff, who died on Feb. 2, 2020, after an accident at his home in Colorado.
“Mikaela is driven, creative, thoughtful and precise,” said her longtime physical therapist, Regan Dewhirst. “She values excellence and efficiency, and she always approaches challenges with curiosity and intention."
For example: Through therapy, Shiffrin's gaining more and more confidence in the GS, an event she won at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Shiffrin recently placed third in a GS race in Czech Republic for her first World Cup GS podium in two years.
“She can make the shortest turn around the gate and has the physical strength to keep the perfect position in nearly every situation,” explained retired racer Marlies Raich (Schild), a four-time Olympic medalist. “She's always pushing to the finish line.”
For example: Shiffrin grew up idolizing Raich, along with American great Bode Miller. It's a technique honed with the help of Shiffrin's parents, too. Her dad was there for her two Olympic gold medals, with his familiar bushy mustache, proud smile and ever-present camera strap slung around his neck.
“She is superlative. Anybody who tries to make an argument that she’s not the best there’s ever been has some uphill sledding to do," Miller said. "Everyone says that records are rented, not owned, but she may own that thing. She's impressive."
For example: Shiffrin has a record 108 World Cup wins across all disciplines. That's 24 more than 41-year-old teammate Lindsey Vonn and 22 more than Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.
“She’s always focused and always motivated and always in training,” her fiancé and Norwegian racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde said. “She’s very, very committed and she keeps doing it with consistency. That’s why she keeps winning.”
For example: A couple for more than four years, they lean on each other, especially last season when each went through a difficult injury. Kilde underwent surgery for a severe cut and nerve damage in his right calf and two torn ligaments in his shoulder after a crash in Switzerland in January 2024.
“Ultimate role model on and off the snow,” U.S. Ski & Snowboard president and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt said.
For example: To think, Shiffrin has as many reindeer (nine) as Santa Claus. Each year, the winner of the slalom race in Levi, Finland, receives a reindeer. She has a stable-full of them with names such as Rudolph, Sven, Mr. Gru, Ingemar (after Stenmark), Sunny, Lorax (a tribute to her father), Grogu, Rori, and Winkie (a nod to mom's childhood nickname).
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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
