Achieving 100 victories in World Cup races has always been considered a near-impossible task. However, legendary alpine ski racer Ingemar Stenmark had his eyes on Mikaela Shiffrin. In 2019, he predicted that the American ski racer would one day surpass his record of 86 victories and go on to achieve over 100 in the fearsome sport. Shiffrin has since surpassed the Swedish legend’s record. In fact, had she not suffered a serious injury on January 26 this year, she might have already claimed her 100th World Cup victory—a phenomenal achievement. But the crash changed everything.

This year, the American ski racer suffered a major accident in Cortina d’Ampezzo on January 26 during a World Cup downhill race. The accident resulted in a sprained MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her knee. Consequently, she had to miss the following 11 races, along with a chance to claim the Crystal Globe. However, more than anything, the injury forced her to contemplate her future.

Coincidentally, at the same time, Shiffrin’s boyfriend, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, was also going through a similar painful experience. So the double blow made them think about retiring from the sport. In one conversation, Mikaela said, “We’ve had that conversation. We’ve both had moments where we were like: ‘I’m so tired of it, it’s time.”‘ Yet, after a few weeks, she returned to the same place for another battle. 

“A day for the soul,” she claimed after returning to the same place that had marred her season once. Now, standing at the 97 victories at the World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin is ready to take a chance again. 

The two-time Olympic champion won’t race downhill this time, but she will compete in the World Cup with her full might. At the age of 29 years, that can pose a severe threat to someone who has had a long past of facing injuries. But Shiffrin is not frightened of that. Rather, in an interview with Eurosport, she said, “It’s like I’m not finished with what I want to give and want to get from the sport.” By spilling those words, did she mean the untouched milestone of nailing 100 victories at the World Cup? No, Shiffrin is aiming for a lofty goal. 

In the interview, the Colorado native displayed her urge to improve her performance. As per her, she can still ski faster as her body permits her to do that. She can entertain her fans by presenting more riveting performances. In a nutshell, she wants to go above and beyond her prior performance. Is that conceivable now for someone who has been in the realm for almost a decade? According to the Alpine ski racer herself, it is possible because of the larger goal she is chasing. 

After claiming numerous titles and wins, Mikaela Shiffrin now wants to be an ambassador of the skiing sport. In the interaction with Eurosport, she laid out, “I met an interesting point in my career where I can be a big part of bringing more people to watch this sport and like be excited to be about it. Hopefully, that’s the purpose with all the competitors we have right now.” By improving her skills, she can also pose a better challenge to her opponents to make the events more engaging. Not just skiing, but Mikaela wants every snow sport to be equally popular among the fans. And she will do whatever it takes to make those happen. Isn’t it visionary? It surely is. However, as of now, she is looking forward to claiming history at the FIS World Cup. 

Mikaela Shiffrin delivers her reason to chase the 100th victory 

Two seasons before, Mikaela Shiffrin took down Ingemar Stenmark’s record of winning 86 races at the Alpine World Cup. Now, she is on her way to completing her 100th win. Before her, there were Marit Bjorgen and Conny Kissling, who have achieved more than 100 victories in Olympic and non-Olympic races. However, Shiffrin does not feel bothered about the record. But if she touches the milestone, then one of her projects would see success. 

Reportedly, her team and the Share Winter Foundation have joined hands to use her 100th victory as a means to promote snow sports. It would bring greater access to the sport. On this subject, she said, “If I’m in good shape, and if it does happen, I do see it as quite a really big opportunity to sort of bolster all the stories that are happening in ski racing right now. There’s so much to be excited about, and so many stories in the sport, even beyond my own.” If everything goes well, she will have a chance to perform in her home state this year, Colorado, for the first time, after 2017. Now, Mikaela Shiffrin will be looking forward to that emotional rundown.