The most decorated alpine skier in history, Mikaela Shiffrin, has had the best of her 2023 at the Alpine Skiing World Cup that’s currently underway. She is currently standing with 93 World Cup victories, but her 94th win is still in suspension. As the World Cup conclusion nears, would she be able to reach her 100th win mark? While this question loomed, it’s time to look at her current Kranjska Gora performances.
Having “felt perfect on the skis,” Shiffrin unfurled her slalom victory flag in Lienz on December 29. But at the beginning of 2024, she had aimed to smash the Giant Slalom record at Kranjska Gora. But Canadian skier Valerie Grenier didn’t let the Olympian maintain her winning streak. She was unwilling to give up, so she aimed to defend her Kranjska slalom title. Let’s see where she stands right now.
Mikaela Shiffrin hopes to win her slalom title
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According to the US Ski Team’s Instagram story, the American skier line-up looked strong ahead of the main event. Paula Moltzan and AJ Hurt, besides Shiffrin, were the ones to look out for. Though the 28-year-old shared the story with a positive heart, the Kranjska Gora weather posed a difficulty, thus threatening her history-making moment. She didn’t finish the first run and straddled a gate at the slalom event on Sunday. Though Run 2 may surface good news, this rare mishap reminds the fans of a similar incident in 2022.
In January that year, the 2x Olympic gold medalist faced a setback. But this slalom, if not hers, can go to her Slovakian counterpart Petra Vlhova. The tech event specialist has always made headlines for her slalom and giant slalom triumphs. But even her display on Sunday may delay her celebrations.
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A tough time for Petra Vlhova as well
Though she fist-bumped her rival after striking herself out, the former also faced a tumble. “I couldn’t see anything from the middle because of snow. First section, last section were OK, but in the middle section I lost a bit speed and (rhythm). But at the end, it’s quite OK,” the Olympian said after her race.
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Because she was under the weather, Shiffrin’s 9th-place giant slalom finish in the same venue was a wonder. The wet slopes had troubled the skiers greatly at the beginning of the year. She ran the 22nd best out of the 30 GS runners but concluded her stride just seconds behind Grenier, who said, “I feel like I have no words.” Will Mikaela Shiffrin finally make a mark in Run 2?
Watch this story: 7x Skiing World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin’s Intense Workout Routine Challenges Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Creed’ Physique.