“It’s Awful”: Alpine Skiing Queen Mikaela Shiffrin Shuts Down Haters With a Bold Note for US Women’s National Team

The ongoing FIFA Women’s Soccer World Cup recently served a major upset to soccer fans. World number one ranked women’s soccer team, the United States Women’s National Team was knocked out by Sweden in the round of 16 fixture. After winning the last two FIFA World Cups, the USWNT was considered the clear favorite to secure their third consecutive World Cup. Soon after crashing out of the World Cup, the USWNT has been facing a lot of online trolling by fans and critics alike. However, amidst their crisis, legendary skier Mikaela Shiffrin has been showing her support for the USWNT.

Just after a few days after Lindsey Vonn defended the USWNT, skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin has also stepped in to rally her support behind the USWNT. Amidst USWNT’s constant trolling, Shiffrin took to her social media to defend her fellow women sports persons by penning a long message of support for the world champions.

Mikaela Shiffrin highlights the USWNT’s impact on Instagram

Mikaela Shiffrin, being an elite competitor herself, knows a few things about losses. As the USWNT was knocked out, she took to her Instagram and showcased her support through multiple Instagram stories. Shiffrin talked about how sports enthusiasts and often fans consider themselves as experts of the sport while voicing their opinion. According to the skier, people fail to see anything other than the performance on the pitch.

She believes that a number of factors contribute to sporting performances, that are not always visible like team dynamics and what happens inside a sporting organization. The Olympic champion claimed that it is natural for people to have an opinion, but they should carefully think before posting their opinions online.

This was also reflected in a part of her caption which read, “These conversations (if that’s what you call them) are truly unavoidable in big moments where a lot of people care. But sometimes I just feel like it’s awful. So incredibly ugly and hateful, especially when you are basically isolated at the wrong end of the barrel. Sure, this is a team, and my hope is that they are able take comfort in their togetherness and motivation from the loss, but there is always an overwhelming feeling of isolation that arrives with a defeat like this.” 

Shiffrin reminded people that the USWNT has raised the bar for women’s soccer and they will soon bounce back from the defeat. She also emphasized how the USWNT has been a force of change for women’s sports, as they have constantly advocated for equality and inclusivity in sports. Apart from Shiffrin, legendary skier Lindsey Vonn also recently defended the USWNT by shutting up a troller recently on X (formerly Twitter).

Lindsey Vonn silences a troller

As the USWNT has been facing constant trolling online, Lindsey Vonn also defended her fellow women sports persons recently. Soon after the USWNT’s exit from the World Cup, a tweet surfaced on social media site X that compared a penalty kick miss by Megan Rapinoe to Vonn’s past altercation with former President Donald Trump. Vonn clapped back at the critic and wrote, “Your comments are almost as bad as your bio. “I don’t see you out there on the pitch. How about giving these athletes some respect, regardless of political opinions.” 

Read more: “Back With a Vengeance”: Ski Legend Lindsey Vonn Jumps Between Mark Zuckerberg’s and Elon Musk’s Cage Fight

As Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn defend their fellow women athletes, it showcases the mutual respect between different sports. Shiffrin’s message for the USWNT is evidence that their loss resonates with Shiffrin as a fan and also as an athlete. Her long note signifies that she is deeply affected by the constant trolling being faced by the USWNT and she believes that they will soon bounce back to raise the bar even higher than before.

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