It may be a bit early to suggest EagleVail’s Mikaela Shiffrin is on her way to becoming the greatest World Cup ski racer in history, but she keeps doing things that hint she could do just that, and another one came Sunday in Maribor, Slovenia.
Shiffrin won a slalom for her 27th career World Cup victory, making her the second racer to win 27 times on the tour before turning age 22. The other one who did it, Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark, holds the all-time record for World Cup wins (86). Shiffrin doesn’t turn 22 until March 13, and her next slalom — an event she has dominated for four seasons — comes Tuesday night in Flachau, Austria.
She also tied the great Phil Mahre on the all-time wins list for Americans on the World Cup. Only Lindsey Vonn (76) and Bode Miller (33) have more. If she remains healthy and motivated, Shiffrin could obliterate all the records for U.S. skiers, given that she probably will compete for another decade.
Shiffrin managed to overcome some bad luck in the second of two runs when a slalom pole broke off and fell in her path.
“I saw a lot of gates were breaking when I was watching the other girls, and I thought that probably would happen to me as well,” Shiffrin said. “With everyone else, it seemed the gate went out of the way. For me it just kept getting stuck on my skis and my boots.
“It was a bit distracting but I don’t think it cost me too much. I was focused and continued and finished the course. I skied over it like twice. It was a bit ugly for a minute.”
World Cup overall standings
(after 18 of 37 races)
Mikaela Shiffrin, EagleVail, 948 points
Lara Gut, Switzerland, 643
Tessa Worley, France, 563
Sofia Goggia, Italy, 547
Ilka Stuhec, Slovenia, 539
