YOUR AD HERE »

United States teen Mikaela Shiffrin eyes yet another World Cup slalom record

Eric Willemsen
The Associated Press
Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States celebrates her third place in an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Lienz, Austria, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
AP | AP

LIENZ, Austria — American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin has a chance to end her magnificent year by setting yet another record in Sunday’s final race of 2013.

At 18 years, 291 days, Shiffrin can become the youngest female skier to win five World Cup slaloms in one calendar year. The record is held by retired Croatian standout Janica Kostelic, who was 67 days older when she captured five slaloms in 2000.

“I didn’t even know that, I guess now I am thinking about that,” Shiffrin told The Associated Press, adding that setting records “is definitely part of my goals.”



Shiffrin, who has been dominating the slalom circuit this year by winning both the world title and the World Cup discipline title, has five career wins in total.

After her maiden victory last year, Shiffrin won in Zagreb, Croatia; Flachau, Austria; and Lenzerheide, Switzerland in early 2013 before winning the first slalom of the current season in Levi, Finland, last month.



By winning on Sunday, Shiffrin would join a group of six women who have won at least five slaloms in one year. Marlies Schild has done it four times — and the Austrian is chasing a record 35th career slalom win.

Shiffrin is returning to the course of her first ever World Cup podium finish after placing third here in 2011.

“Last time I was in Lienz, I didn’t have a great GS race but I had a pretty good slalom race,” she said. “I am just really taking it day by day … I feel like I always leave something on the hill and I don’t want to do that anymore.”

Coming off a third-place finish in Saturday’s giant slalom for her second podium this month, Shiffrin admitted she finds it increasingly difficult to focus on two different disciplines.

“It’s a little bit harder to be able to focus on both and, at the same time, one after the other,” she said. “I am just trying to put my best out (in GS) but still save some energy.

“Especially today, I have a podium and I am really excited but I am trying to stay calm because I have a race tomorrow, too. I am just trying to figure that out a little bit.”

U.S. women’s head coach Alex Hoedlmoser believed Shiffrin can only get better from reaching the top in different disciplines at the same time.

“It’s a learning process for sure but she will only benefit,” Hoedlmoser said. “One event can make up for the other. She didn’t do well in the slalom in Courchevel (finishing 12th) but her third place in the GS in Lienz will boost her confidence again for the next slalom.”


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.