Mikaela Shiffrin Makes Honest Confession About Rivals Amidst Unfortunate 2025 Season

Coming to the 2024-25 season, the world watched a confident Mikaela Shiffrin, who was on her way to making history in the sport. So how did her adventure go? While the start was favorable for the American, the moment she came to compete in Killington, chasing her 100th World Cup victory, she suffered a brutal crash during her giant slalom run.

This accident completely altered Shiffrin’s season, as it was a near-fatal crash. The alpine skier is currently going through recovery and doing well from her side, as seen on her various social media updates. However, despite all her bad luck, she didn’t ignore the accolades of her opponents, who competed against her multiple times and provided her with good competition.

American skier’s thoughts on her competitors

Throughout her esteemed career, Mikaela Shiffrin has had a ton of rivals. However, their heated battles, which are intense enough to melt the snow, have resulted in a stronger sense of camaraderie between them. The concept is straightforward, as they are both competitors on the ice and friends off the ice. However, are there any particular athletes that match those criteria for her? Yes, it’s Sweden’s Anna Swenn-Larsson and Sara Hector.

These three have encountered each other numerous times during their careers on the ice. They also share a tough mentality when it comes to races, but they are no less than friends of the course. Speaking to SVT Sport, the American alpine skier unveiled her thoughts on her competitors, stating, “Yeah, I mean this year, of course, the two are the friendliest, happiest, and most motivated athletes in the World Cup, so it’s always a pleasure to train with them.“ Despite Shiffrin’s limited time in this campaign due to injury, she thoroughly enjoyed her time with them.

“It’s a pleasure to race against them, and it’s been really wonderful to watch their success over the course of my career. I’ve seen also with them growing up and having their own success, it’s been wonderful, and they’re always pushing me to do better too,“ said the 99-time World Cup winner. Since 2011, Shiffrin has been in the professional scene, and she has watched her competitors grow alongside her. While they may not have achieved the same accolades as she has in her career, Shiffrin still acknowledges their efforts and personalities on the grid.

Coming into the 2024-25 season in November, there was huge anticipation from Shiffrin. And she delivered. From the slalom in Levi to the one in Gurgl, she conquered the grid. However, her home slalom didn’t go as planned due to an injury she sustained in Killington. Indeed, she has suffered a season-ending injury, but there’s still hope for her fast recovery. While fans wouldn’t see her for a while on the snow, she opened up about all the talks surrounding her, especially her alpine skiing career.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s confession of her legacy

Rome wasn’t built in one day, and neither was Mikaela Shiffrin’s alpine skiing career, featuring 99 World Cup wins and numerous other notable accolades. Because of these statistics, the community often views Mikaela Shiffrin as a role model, inspiring young people to pursue similar dreams and leave a lasting legacy. But what about the American skier? What does she think about it? “I guess I just want to exist in life … with honesty and having kindness for others and a willingness to be open to others,” Shiffrin opened up on her mindset while talking to GearJunkie.

The American alpine skier has been through many challenges in life, on and off the snow. There’ve been ups and downs, but she’s a person who would rather live in the moment, stating, “I suppose that’s not really about legacy, but I am really passionate, obviously, about this sport. And I’m becoming more and more passionate about trying to share it with the world as much as possible and make it more accessible to more people because it’s been such a gift in my life. I feel like that’s a gift that a lot of people could benefit from physically, mentally, emotionally.”

Indeed, she never shied away from acknowledging her accolades. However, the more she excels in her career, the more attached she gets to the sport, and she has a never-ending love for alpine skiing.