Mikaela Shiffrin Breaks Lindsey Vonn's All-Time Alpine Skiing Record with 83 Wins
Jan 24, 2023
KRONPLATZ, ITALY - JANUARY 24: Mikaela Shiffrin of Team United States takes 1st place and wins her 83 world cup victory during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Giant Slalom on January 24, 2023 in Kronplatz, Italy. (Photo by Millo Moravski/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin is the most decorated female alpine skier in history.
The 27-year-old American bested Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami by 0.45 seconds in the giant slalom Tuesday in Kronplatz, Italy, to win her 83rd World Cup race. That lifted her ahead of Lindsey Vonn for the women's all-time record.
"It might take me a little bit to figure out what to say," she said of Tuesday's achievement. "I don't know what to say right now."
Shiffrin has achieved everything a skier can. In addition to her World Cup victories, she's a two-time Winter Olympics gold medalist and a six-time world champion.
Last October, though, she reflected on how her fulfillment on the slopes stemmed from more than racking up accolades:
"I don't need [records] to feel like I accomplished everything in the sport. I just want to keep improving. And hopefully, over the next few years, if I'm improving, it means I'm still able to win races. And then we'll see the record. And if it does happen, if it happens, then when it happens, I think it'll probably feel special, for sure. That'll be amazing, but it's not any guarantee, and it's definitely not something that I need."
Depending on how long she continues to compete, it may not be a matter of whether she passes Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record but how far ahead of Stenmark she finishes.
Stenmark had 86 World Cup wins before retiring at 32. If Shiffrin sticks around into her early 30s, then she could have 90 or more victories when her career concludes.
Mikaela Shiffrin Ties Lindsey Vonn's All-Time Women's Record with 82 Wins
Jan 8, 2023
American Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on the podium after winning the Women's Giant Slalom event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Kranjska Gora on January 8, 2023. - Mikaela Shiffrin equalled Lindsey Vonn's women's record of 82 World Cup victories when she won the giant slalom at Kranjska Gora on January 8, 2023. (Photo by Pierre TEYSSOT / AFP) (Photo by PIERRE TEYSSOT/AFP via Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin is one win away from history.
The 27-year-old bested Federica Brignone in the women's giant slalom on Sunday in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, to earn her 82nd career World Cup victory. With the triumph, she tied Lindsey Vonn's all-time record.
"I was so nervous this run. I have a rash on my face I was so nervous," she said, per Andrew Dampf of the Associated Press. "I don't know why, maybe a little bit was because of 82. I just really wanted to ski well, and I did."
Shiffrin finished with a final time of 1:52.53 on Sunday, 0.77 seconds faster than Brignone. She said her coaches told her the conditions were favorable and that she should be aggressive on the slope.
"I've been in this position before, and I've given it away, and today I wanted to fight for it," she said.
Dampf noted Shiffrin smashed the pace Vonn set when collecting her 82 World Cup wins. Vonn, who suffered a number of injuries across her illustrious career, needed 395 events to get there compared to just 233 for Shiffrin.
The two-time Winter Olympics gold medalist can now pass Vonn as early as Tuesday in Flachau, Austria.
It might only be a matter of time before Shiffrin is not only the most decorated women's alpine skier but also claims the overall record. Ingemar Stenmark retired with 86 World Cup wins, a total that's more than attainable given her dominance in the sport.
Mikaela Shiffrin 4 Wins Shy of Lindsey Vonn's Record After Major Giant Slalom Victory
Dec 27, 2022
USA's Mikaela Shiffrin competes during the first run of the giant slalom of the FIS Alpine Skiing Women's World Cup in Semmering, Austria on December 27, 2022. - Austria OUT (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin is closing in on Lindsey Vonn's all-time wins record in the World Cup following her newest triumph Tuesday in Semmering, Austria.
With a final time of 2:07.18, Shiffrin edged out Slovakia's Petra Vlhová by 0.13 seconds in the women's giant slalom. This was the 27-year-old's fourth World Cup victory this season and her first giant slalom win since Dec. 21, 2021.
Shiffrin called it "very special."
"GS is one of the hardest events for me, but also, when I'm skiing well, then it's just amazing," she said.
The American now has 78 World Cup wins overall, putting her four behind Vonn.
Vonn retired in February 2019 following the World Championships, citing in part the physical toll she had put on her body throughout a legendary career. Along with her success on the World Cup circuit, she was an Olympic gold medalist in 2010 and the world champion in the downhill and super-G in 2009.
Given her age, it might be a matter of when rather than if Shiffrin surpasses Vonn's all-time mark, though it's not something she's prioritizing before she retires.
"Every record is special. There's nothing wrong with it," Shiffrin said in October to Alessandro Poggi of the Olympics' official site.
"It's a way to analyze who, you know, has done something great in sport. And I get that. It's just…it's not the thing that I'm shooting for in order to retire."
Hilaree Nelson Dies at 49; U.S. Extreme Skier's Body Found After Fall from Mountain
Sep 28, 2022
FILE- Hilaree Nelson of Telluride, Colorado, left and James Morrison of Tahoe, California, raise their fists as the pair arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, Oct. 4, 2018. Rescuers in a helicopter were searching on the world's eighth-highest mountain Tuesday for Nelson, the famed U.S. ski mountaineer a day after she fell off the mountain near the peak. Nelson, 49, was skiing down from the 8,163-meter (26,775-foot) summit with her partner Jim Morrison when she fell off the mountain, according to Jiban Ghimire of the Kathmandu-based Shangri-La Nepal Trek that organized and outfitted the expedition.(AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File)
Hilaree Nelson, an extreme skier from the United States, has died at the age of 49 in a skiing accident at Mount Manaslu in Nepal.
Per the Associated Press, Nelson's body was recovered on Wednesday after she went missing earlier this week while attempting to ski down the summit of the mountain with her partner, Jim Morrison, on Monday.
Nelson fell off the mountain as she and Morrison were skiing down the 26,775-foot summit.
Mount Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain in the world.
The AP noted there was an avalanche at a lower elevation on the same mountain Nelson was skiing on Monday that killed a man and injured several other climbers.
"Rescuers searching by helicopter located Nelson’s body on Wednesday after failing to find her on Tuesday and Monday, when bad weather hampered their search," according to the AP.
According to her official website, Nelson's career accomplishments include completing the "first American ascent and ski descent of Papsura peak in India and a first ski descent of the 4th highest peak in the world, Lhotse."
Nelson was received the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award in 2018 and was a recipient of a National Geographic Society grant.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Interfering in Peter Foley Investigation, U.S. Senator Says
Mar 23, 2022
The waning moon sets over the Sugarloaf ski resort in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, Wednesday, March 23, 2022.(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who is on the Senate Judiciary Committee that investigated sexual abuse in Olympic sports, wrote a letter saying U.S. Ski & Snowboard has interfered with an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against longtime coach Peter Foley.
Rachel Axon of USA Today reported on the letter and noted the U.S. Center for SafeSport has been investigating Foley and temporarily suspended him. U.S. Ski & Snowboard confirmed Monday that he is no longer the coach.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport is an organization tasked with investigating allegations of sexual misconduct within Olympic sports and opened in 2017 after individual governing bodies previously mishandled such allegations.
Alyssa Roenigk and Tisha Thompson of ESPN reported three former athletes and a former employee of U.S. Ski & Snowboard accused Foley, who had been the head coach of the U.S. snowboard team since 1994 and took athletes to seven different Olympics, of "sexual misconduct including sexual assault, unwanted kissing and touching, and coercing them into taking nude photos."
The first allegations were made public during the most recent Beijing Olympics when snowboardcross athlete Callan Chythlook-Sifsof wrote messages on Instagram accusing Foley of sexual misconduct.
According to the ESPN report, one athlete said she felt powerless to stop Foley when he started to kiss her following a post-race event because he "effectively decided which athletes would make the Olympics" by seeding athletes and deciding who would travel to World Cup events.
"Any allegations of sexual misconduct being made against him are false," Foley's attorney, Howard Jacobs, told ESPN. "Mr. Foley has not engaged in any conduct that violates the SafeSport Code, and he will cooperate with the U.S. Center for SafeSport when and if they contact him."
Axon noted federal law states the U.S. Center for SafeSport must report attempts to interfere with an investigation to Congress within 72 hours.
Grassley's letter states the organization reported that U.S. Ski & Snowboard did not notify it of allegations or provide evidence in a timely manner all while conducting its own separate investigation.
What's more, the letter said U.S. Ski & Snowboard made "an effort to discourage participation" and "identify who may be participating" by misinforming anyone taking part in the investigation.
Winter X Games 2022: Full Results, Medal Winners and Best Trick Highlights
Jan 24, 2022
ASPEN, CO - JANUARY 21: Tess Ledeux, of La Plagne, France, smiles as she shows off her gold medal after winning the Jeep Women's Ski Big Air finals at Buttermilk Mountain for the X Games on January 21, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. This is the third time she has won the event at the X Games. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
The 2022 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, brought a return of fans and plenty of memorable tricks and performances.
Here is a look at the full results of competitions that started Friday and ran through Sunday's Men's Ski SuperPipe.
The results are courtesy of the X Games' official website.
Friday, Jan. 21
Women's Snowboard Slopestyle
1. Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
2. Jamie Anderson
3. Laurie Blouin
Women's Ski Big Air
1. Tess Ledeux, 94.00
2. Megan Oldham, 89.00
3. Olivia Asselin, 72.00
Snowboard Knuckle Huck
1. Marcus Kleveland
2. Fridtjof Sæther Tischendorf
3. Dusty Henricksen
Women's Ski SuperPipe
1. Kelly Sildaru
2. Brita Sigourney
3. Hanna Faulhaber
Men's Snowboard SuperPipe
1. Scotty James
2. Ayumu Hirano
3. Kaishu Hirano
Saturday, Jan. 22
Women's Ski Slopestyle
1. Tess Ledeux
2. Mathilde Gremaud
3. Megan Oldham
Men's Snowboard Slopestyle
1. Mark McMorris
2. Marcus Kleveland
3. Sven Thorgren
Women's Snowboard Big Air
1. Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, 85.00
2. Jamie Anderson, 82.00
3. Miyabi Onitsuka, 78.00
Women's Snowboard SuperPipe
1. Sena Tomita
2. Queralt Castellet
3. Haruna Matsumoto
Men's Ski Big Air
1. Alex Hall, 94.00
2. Mac Forehand, 92.00
3. Teal Harle, 91.00
Men's Snowboard Big Air
1. Marcus Kleveland, 82.00
2. Max Parrot, 81.00
3. Rene Rinnekangas, 80.00
Sunday, Jan. 23
Men's Ski Slopestyle
1. Andri Ragettli
2. Max Moffatt
3. Alex Hall
Ski Knuckle Huck
1. Quinn Wolferman
2. Jake Mageau
3. Alex Hall
Men's Ski SuperPipe
1. Nico Porteous
2. Aaron Blunck
3. David Wise
It didn't take long for the drama to start at Buttermilk Mountain.
The Men's Snowboard SuperPipe is always one of the headline events, and Scotty James went head-to-head with Ayumu Hirano. While Hirano narrowly earned the gold over James the last time he competed in the X Games in 2018, it was James' time to shine on his way to a fourth X Games gold medal.
Elsewhere, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott was brilliant on her way to gold in the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle. ESPN's Grace Coryell suggested she unleashed "arguably the best Women's Snowboard Slopestyle run in contest history—Cab 270 on the down bar, a switch boardslide pretzel out, frontside bluntslide 450 out, switch backside 900 Indy, frontside double cork 1080 melon and backside double cork 1080 Weddle grab."
She wasn't the only one who dazzled, as Tess Ledeux became the first woman to land a double cork 1620 in competition as the Women's Ski Big Air winner, and Kelly Sildaru captured gold in the Women's Ski SuperPipe to win her 10th X Games medal and break a tie with Shaun White and Nyjah Huston for the most as a teenager.
Sunday was a big day for men's skiing, and Switzerland's Andri Ragettli held off challenges from Canada's Max Moffatt and the United States' Alex Hall.
Hall also took bronze in the Men's Ski Knuckle Huck behind Quinn Wolferman and Jake Mageau before the grand finale of the Men's Ski SuperPipe. Nico Porteous closed the festivities with a brilliant showing in that final event.
That Men's Ski Super Pipe final was a true nail biter, coming down to the final run to determine the podium order. A thrilling way to end #XGames Aspen 2022. 🥇 Nico Porteous (2nd year in a row with X Games Aspen super pipe gold) 🥈 Aaron Blunck 🥉 David Wise pic.twitter.com/M1gcoY44XA
It fittingly came down to the final run, but the defending champion was able to outlast Aaron Blunck for the second straight year in dramatic fashion.
Daniel-Andre Tande Placed in Medically Induced Coma After Skiing Crash
Mar 25, 2021
Healthcare workers attend to Norway's Daniel Andre Tande after he crashed during the ski flying individual World Cup event in Planica, Slovenia, Thursday, March 25, 2021. (AP Photo)
Norwegian Olympic ski jumper Daniel-Andre Tande was placed in a medically induced coma Thursday after crashing during a World Cup event in Slovenia.
According to the Associated Press, the 27-year-old lost control during a jump and was seen landing awkwardly in the snow before falling down the hillside. A tweet from the International Ski Federation updating Tande's condition noted he received treatment while unconscious before being evacuated off the course; however, he remains in "stable condition."
— Viessmann FIS Ski Jumping World Cup (@FISskijumping) March 25, 2021
The AP noted medics worked with Tande for nearly 30 minutes before he was taken by helicopter to a hospital in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana from the event site in Planica, about 60 miles away.
Norwegian team coach Alexander Stockl told reporters Tande suffered a broken collarbone and would likely be kept in a coma for 24 hours, though both his head and neck appear OK based on preliminary tests.
Tande arrived in Planica as the reigning champion, having won the gold medal in 2020, 2018 and 2016 along with a gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and a 2017 silver medal at the World Championships. He's won seven individual events and 13 team events at the World Cup since 2014 in 178 combined starts.
Mikaela Shiffrin Becomes 5th Woman to Win 4 Medals at World Ski Championships
Feb 20, 2021
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin competes during a women's slalom, at the alpine ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Mikaela Shiffrin became just the fifth woman, and the first in 14 years, to win four medals at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships after she captured bronze in the slalom Saturday in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Shiffrin, who'd won gold in the slalom at each of the past four world championships, finished third behind Austria's Katharina Liensberger and Slovakia's Petra Vlhova.
The 25-year-old American won gold in the alpine combined, silver in the giant slalom and bronze in the super-G earlier in the event.
"It's incredible," Shiffrin told reporters. "I don't think there was ever a time where I could have said 'I win four medals in one world championships.' But it's one thing to sort of dream about getting the medals, but in the moment when it counts, having good enough skiing to do it, especially for the world championships to do it four times, is really special."
The Colorado native is up to 11 career medals in the world championships, which is tied for second in women's skiing history behind Germany's Christl Cranz (15).
Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is clearly back in top form after returning in November following a 10-month hiatus after the death of her father, cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic and a back injury.
"Maybe 'normal' is just going to be changing all the time. I have a different opinion of what normal means now," she said Saturday. "Here, in these last two weeks, every day had something really special, and it's something to smile about."
Here's a complete list of gold-medal winners from the 2021 women's championships:
Downhill: Corinne Suter (Switzerland)
Super-G: Lara Gut-Behrami (Switzerland)
Giant slalom: Gut-Behrami
Slalom: Liensberger
Alpine combined: Shiffrin
Parallel giant slalom: Marta Bassino (Italy) and Liensberger (tie)
"I really gave it all today," Liensberger said after upsetting Shiffrin in the slalom. "I worked so hard for it, every single day in preparation. It's amazing that it all comes back. If you really want something, the whole universe, it's just happening for you."
The 2020-21 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season resumes next weekend at Val di Fassa in Italy.
Shiffrin is third in the slalom standings and fifth in the giant slalom with four events to go.
Look: Lindsey Vonn Shares on Social Media She Proposed to P.K. Subban
Dec 25, 2019
US alpine skier Lindsey Vonn and fiance Canadian ice hockey pro P. K. Subban arrive for the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on August 26, 2019. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)
The holiday season is a time for engagement announcements.
Lindsey Vonn added her own this Christmas, announcing on social media she had proposed to P.K. Subban:
Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!! On our 2 year anniversary, in a “non traditional” move, I asked PK to marry me and he said, Yes ☺️! Women aren’t the only ones who should get engagement rings! #MerryChristmas#equalitypic.twitter.com/hhdm85RoWi
The two have always been open to sharing about their relationship publicly. They walked the red carpet together for the first time and officially confirmed they were a couple at the 2018 CMT Awards. Most recently they participated in GQ's Couples Quiz earlier this month:
Vonn, the winningest female ski racer in history retired in February, while Subban plays defenseman for the New Jersey Devils.
Lindsey Vonn Wins Bronze Medal in Final Career Race; 'I Laid It All on the Line'
Feb 10, 2019
Third placed United States' Lindsey Vonn celebrates on the podium after the women's downhill race, at the alpine ski World Championships in Are, Sweden, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
Lindsey Vonn ended her career in style Sunday, winning a bronze medal in the downhill at the world Alpine championships in Are, Sweden.
"I laid it all on the line; that was all I wanted to do today," she said after the race, per Cindy Boren of the Washington Post. "I have to admit I was a bit nervous, probably the most nervous I've ever been in my life. I wanted to finish strong so badly. I had a really hard time controlling my nerves, and I never have a hard time with that. I'm just happy I made it to the finish."
Vonn was briefly in first place after her run, though Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia—the winner at the 2017 worlds—took home the gold, and Switzerland's Corinne Suter won silver.
It was fitting that Vonn would end her career in Are, as she won her first two medals on the same course at the world championships in 2007.
Her bronze Sunday was her eighth career medal at the world championships (which included two golds in 2009). She also has three medals at the Olympics, including a gold medal in the downhill in 2010.
As Boren noted, Vonn is "one of only seven women to have won World Cup races in all five major disciplines of Alpine skiing—downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super combined." Only Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark everwon moreWorld Cup races (86) than Vonn (82).
Lindsey Vonn could have made her last ski race a ceremonial glide. Or she could have crashed on surgical knees. She didn’t. She won a bronze medal in downhill at the World Championships. A last example of why she is the greatest women’s ski racer in history
The fact that Vonn even raced Sunday was a triumph after she crashed in the super-G last week and suffered, in her own words, "just a black eye, sore ribs and stiff neck."
Injuries are nothing new, though.
"My body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of,"she wrotein an Instagram post Feb. 1. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen."
She seemed at peace with that decision.
"I left everything I've got on the hill. There's nothing left," she said. "I wish there was, but today is not a sad day. Today I get to thank every one of you who took this ride with me. And I get to go up to the top one more time, to do what I've always done: Risk it all. It's all or nothing."
It was one more moment of greatness in a career full of them.
