Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, representing the U.S., claimed her 82nd World Cup win during the Giant Slalom of Kranjska Gora Jan. 8, according to the International Ski Federation. This win not only tied Linsey Vonn’s victory record, but also made Shiffrin break a record of World Cup titles.
Talitha Stern (’24) said she was very pleased with this announcement considering how much Shiffrin had recently struggled in her races, particularly in the 2023 Beijing Olympics.
“I was surprised but, at the same time, I felt really proud,” Stern said. “She had a couple seasons this year where she didn’t do very well, and now she’s doing so well, so seeing her win all these competitions is really amazing.”
Likewise, Celia Carson (’25) said she was delighted about her victory since she had looked up to her for a long time.
“I was very excited because I’ve been watching her since I was really young,” Carson said. “We would always be watching the sport and she would just come up over and over and over again, so I was very excited to see that she had finally done it.”
Willem Bake (’25) said he was impressed by Shiffrin’s performance, as he said being successful in the ski industry is difficult.
“It’s such a big accomplishment because the ski industry, especially being a downhill racer, it’s so hard, there’s so much competition,” Bake said. “I remember watching a video about her and about how she trained and it was not easy for her, so this is really impressive.”
For her just to be the most accomplished alpine skier is already a huge accomplishment. But, to win multiple kinds of trophies in different areas of skiing, I think that just raised the bar to a different level.
— Willem Bake ('25)
According to the International Ski Federation, Shiffrin is the only athlete – male or female – to ever win a gold medal in all six ski disciplines, after securing her first Super G- one of the big ski disciplines- victory at Lake Louise in 2018.
Bake said although it is already impressive to be a successful skier in one discipline, mastering every discipline is especially impressive.
“For her just to be the most accomplished alpine skier is already a huge accomplishment,” Bake said. “But, to win multiple kinds of trophies in different areas of skiing, I think that just raised the bar to a different level.”
Carson said Shiffrin’s bravery is inspiring to her because she struggles to take risks in her everyday life.
“She really just attacks the course with aggression, and I think that’s something I’ve always struggled with in life,” Carson said. “I don’t really like taking risks.”
Moreover, Stern said she admires Shiffrin’s perseverance, especially given her ability to “get back up again after you make a mistake” to “get back in the game.”
According to the Olympics website, the International Ski Federation Alpine Ski World Championships are set to take place from Feb. 6-19 in Courchevel and Meribel.
Bake said he hopes Shiffrin succeeds in the coming championships to gain more recognition for her success.
“I don’t think the sports industry, especially the skiing industry has shed enough light on her accomplishments, so I really hope she does take home some medals,” Bake said.
Before actually going into competitive skiing, I didn’t even know that all these competitions even existed.
— Talitha Stern ('24)
Regarding the sport in general, Stern said skiing does not receive enough recognition, as she did not know much about it before taking part in the sport herself.
“Before actually going into competitive skiing, I didn’t even know that all these competitions even existed,” Stern said. “It goes to show how unrecognized the sport is.”
Bake said Shiffrin sets the bar high in the sport, but because of her gender, it sets her back in the industry.
“Especially being a woman in a sport that’s so hard to thrive in just raises the bar to another level, and in today’s society, makes it a lot more difficult to receive recognition,” Bake said.
Ultimately, Bake said Shiffrin has greatly motivated him in his own life.
“When I see anyone succeed, it kind of makes me want to succeed in my own way,” Bake said. “So this victory motivates me to want to be the best at what I do.”
