Mikaela Shiffrin is the most decorated alpine skiing champion in history, barring the Winter Olympics. After overtaking legends such as Ingemar Stenmark and Lindsey Vonn, Shiffrin is now competing to extend her legacy. However, as Shiffrin prepared to make her first attempt at reaching the 100 World Cup titles mark, she made a surprising confession.

After winning five overall world cups and an Olympic gold medal, you may think competing has become second nature to the American. The 29-year-old explained that despite her immense experience, there’s one aspect that’s escaped her grasp for over a decade. However, it’s not a skill or difficult move, but rather a mental challenge.

The one thing Mikaela Shiffrin is yet to conquer

On November 28, Mikaela Shiffrin uploaded the first episode of Moving Right Along, season 3. In the YouTube video, the alpine skiing legend discussed her training and mental state as she approaches the coveted 100-win mark. Last season, the Olympian came close to reaching the milestone until her brutal crash on Cortina d’Ampezzo in January.

However, after back-to-back successful slalom victories at Levi, Finland, and Gurgl, Austria, the 62-time slalom is just one win away from making history. Yet, there’s a mental hurdle. “I find sometimes is just… I struggle with the final piece of race day mentality to really put the hammer down and bring out my best skiing,” confessed Mikaela Shiffrin.

“You would think by now I’d have figured it out after 14 years of racing the World Cup and the number of wins… But it’s just not something that comes naturally to me,” the eight-time World Cup Slalom title winner said on YouTube. And while this is the first time the American has admitted it, she has dropped hints about this hurdle in the past.

Even after winning her 99th World Cup title, Mikaela Shiffrin spoke about feeling nervous. “I really was nervous on the top… I was like: I don´t think it´s happening today. Push! Push!” said Shiffrin after winning the slalom event in Gurgl. However, it turns out that nerves would be the least of her worries at Killington.

A disaster on home snow

After her recent triumphs in Europe, Mikaela Shiffrin couldn’t have asked for a better venue for the event. The five-time World Cup champion ski made her first attempt to reach the 100-win milestone at Killington, Vermont. The event lineup also seemed perfect for the slalom specialist, as she looked poised to claim the crown in front of a home crowd. However, no one planned for the crash.

Mikaela Shiffrin started her second Giant Slamon run as the leader. However, while fans thought they were witnessing a historic run, the Olympian lost control of her outside ski with the finish line in sight. The 29-year-old smashed into one fence and then another as the stunned crowd looked on in disbelief. However, Shiffrin eased their concern a little as she waved to the crowds as medics rushed her to the hospital.

“I am so sorry to scare everybody, and it looks like all scans so far are clear. So thank you for the support and concern, and congratulations to the winners and to my teammates for incredible performances.” Shiffrin said in a video she posted from the hospital bed. However, the alien skiing legend won’t get back on her feet for at least a few weeks.

“I just can’t move,” the Olympic gold medalist informed her fans. However, despite the setback, Mikaela Shiffrin is bound to bounce back. Shiffrin returned after the Cortina d’Ampezzo crash in March to claim her 97th World Cup victory at Åre, Sweden. So the fans can rest assured that the Olympic gold medalist will be back.