SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria — The anticipation surrounding Mikaela Shiffrin’s potential for a historic 16th medal and her impressive streak of six medals in as many slalom races at the World Championships captured the spirit of her international supporters gathered in the picturesque Austrian Alps. These fans had high hopes, especially after she finished the first run in third place, enthusiastically waving flags and brandishing signs that celebrated the renowned athlete, who holds the title of the most successful skier in history.
However, Shiffrin herself remained realistic about her performance expectations. Ultimately, she secured a fifth-place finish, a respectable outcome given that this was only her second full slalom competition since experiencing a significant injury from a crash in a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, just ten weeks prior. This crash had resulted in severe oblique muscle trauma and a serious abdominal injury that required extensive healing time.
“Today was aligned with what I expected,” Shiffrin remarked. “It’s a unique situation to come back from surgery eight weeks ago and just six weeks after I was bedridden with a drainage tube, all while competing mid-season at the World Championships. Everyone else is in peak form, battling for medals, and I’m just trying to gauge where I fit in among them.”
Despite this challenge, Shiffrin did achieve success with teammate Breezy Johnson, claiming a gold medal in the newly introduced team combined event at the competition. Nevertheless, Shiffrin opted out of defending her giant slalom title due to lingering anxiety stemming from her recent accident, describing her experience as “PTSD-like.” She acknowledged that this phase of her career provided “one of the biggest learning opportunities” she has encountered thus far.
With her combined gold medal tallying to 15, Shiffrin equaled the record set by German skier Christl Cranz in the 1930s. She will now have to wait for the next World Championships in Crans Montana, Switzerland, in two years to strive for the record herself. Previously, Shiffrin had medaled in all six of her slalom appearances at the World Championships, kicking off her illustrious streak as a 17-year-old in 2013, when she began her four consecutive gold wins, and also earning bronze in 2021 and silver in 2023.
Following the end of her streak in slalom, Shiffrin reflected on its significance, noting that even rising star Zrinka Ljutic regarded her feat as “alien.” Despite this setback, Shiffrin recognized that her ability to dominate in slalom isn’t what caused the end of her run; instead, it was her encounter with the two most severe crashes of her career over the last two seasons that disrupted her performance.
“Anything can go wrong, and at times it feels like everything has gone awry. However, looking back on my career so far—including what lies ahead—I’m astounded by everything my team has accomplished and our consistency,” commented Shiffrin. She mentioned her accident in Killington and an instance where she crashed into safety nets at a high speed during a downhill event last season in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics will be held next year.
“The past two years have vividly demonstrated how much can go wrong, even when following the right path,” she added. “It makes moving forward slightly daunting as the future feels so uncertain. However, I suppose it’s the mindset we adopt, and I’m aiming to find comfort in that uncertainty.”
Shiffrin’s teammate, Paula Moltzan, finished just ahead of her in fourth place, only five hundredths of a second away from earning a medal. Moltzan herself came close to a medal finish, landing in fourth, only two hundredths off the podium, in a race ultimately won by Swiss skier Camille Rast. Previously, Moltzan had also taken home a bronze medal in giant slalom and participated in the mixed team parallel event.
“My worst finish is fourth, which is alright,” Moltzan stated. “I’m proud of my performance. Competing at the World Championships is a significant event. I was in both the first and last events, and while it has been a lengthy two weeks, I feel content with how things turned out.” As a competitor who is almost the same age as Shiffrin, she has witnessed much of Shiffrin’s remarkable career closely.
“When you’ve been off the course for two months, building confidence can be difficult,” Moltzan noted. “(Rast) is riding high on momentum, while Mikaela is just getting back into the swing of things. By the season’s end, I believe we’ll see her speed return.”
Looking ahead, Shiffrin expressed her desire to compete in giant slalom next weekend as the World Cup circuit resumes in Sestriere, Italy. With her next victory poised to extend her win record to 100, Shiffrin emphasized the importance of participating in these races to maintain her start list number. “I need to get back into giant slalom, but I believe my skiing will reach a level where I can compete without it being unsafe,” she concluded.
