?Don?t Really Have Any Place to Prepare?: Mikaela Shiffrin Left Bitter Amid Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2023/24

There is no one quite like Mikaela Shiffrin in the world of Alpine Skiing. The 28-year-old, since her debut in 2011, has clinched victory after victory and has become the queen of the snow-covered slopes. Shiffrin has earned a massive record of 88 World Cup wins, becoming the first-ever skier to do so. However, chasing her 89th World Cup win on her goal of a 100-win run, she faced a massive upset at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup.

She found herself trailing in the 5th position with 1:09.52 in the first run, which was won by Italy?s Federica Brignone. And in the second run on the giant slalom, she again found herself reeling behind in 6th place. Unfortunately, she came in with +1.19 seconds to the lead, which Swiss Alpine Skiier Lara Gut-Behrami took. Now days after the loss, Mikaela Shiffrin was left bitter and shared her honest thoughts about it.

Mikaela Shiffrin reveals a growing concern in Skiing that has left her bitter

According to The Associated Press, the legendary skier shared her upset, stating she felt under-prepared due to the limited training facilities available in Europe in October. She stated, ?This is the first race of the season; it?s one of the most challenging races we do, and you don?t really have any place to prepare?. She raised her voice regarding the growing concerns of climate change affecting the sport and suggested a solution to the organizers, saying, ?It?s a little difficult to adjust the environment for the race schedule we want. And I really believe it?s time to look at the race schedule to match the environment we have these days?.

This update by Shiffrin comes after Austria, where the World Cup was held, faced one of the warmest September since the year 1767 when they started being recorded. The temperature in October, too, was way above the long-term average it usually faces.

The climate challenges faced before the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

With a lack of snow, the Rettenbach glacier had to transport 45,000 cubic meters of preserved snow collected last year to the site of the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. And that?s not all; another layer of artificial snow was added by 22 snow cannons blazing for two days and two nights along the track. The site was then lucky to receive an overnight snowfall, which transformed the venue’s look in time for the Ski World Cup. Shiffrin made the point that the skiing season should begin in the winter to provide athletes like herself with the environment needed to improve their skills.

However, organizers stated that beginning the season in October was a timely sign to fans and the world that winter sports were about to begin. Michel Vion, the Secretary General of the FIS, stated that if the races were pushed to November, ?Then we will not have 17 weekends in the winter; we will only have 13 weekends. For sure, the number of races will then be much, much lower?.

Read more: Opinion: Are New Rules by Skiing Federation Enough to Protect the Environment Amid Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

This upset by Shiffrin has drawn the world’s attention once again to growing environmental health challenges and how skiing and other disciplines of winter sports are affected. Shiffrin was also one of the 200 signatories who signed a letter in February 2023, urging the FIS to take action on the need for changes and action in alignment with the growing climate change concerns.

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