Mikaela shiffrin won her 75th World Cup in Levi, Finland, on Saturday. She broke Lindsey Vonn ‘s records for most podiums by a woman skier in one discipline.
She now only has seven World Cup victories behind her American colleague’s 82 World Cup victories for female skiers and eleven behind Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark, the record-holder.
After her 67th World Cup Slalom victory, she told the International Ski Federation (FIS): “It felt good on the first run. But I held back a bit.” Vonn won 66 times in the downhill.
On the second run, I adjusted and felt it was a good pace and speed. “I was solid and strong everywhere.”
The Slovakian Petra Vlhova was 0.14 second behind her when she entered the steepest part of the course.
Shiffrin’s trademark strength was on display in the steep section and all the way to the end, where she completed both runs with a time 1.51:25. She pushed Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larson into second place, by just 0.16 seconds.
Vlhova finished third, despite having won four of the five previous slaloms at Levi.
Today was an excellent day. “It was not an easy day, I was nervous at first but I managed to ski how I wanted,” Shiffrin said afterwards.
It’s frustrating when you try to push too hard and you fail. You either straddle or lose. Although it can be painful, we should be happy for the day and focus on tomorrow.
Shiffrin continued her triumphant return after failing to complete three of six events that she entered in the 2022 Winter Olympics and returning from Beijing without a medal.
Shiffrin also brings home her 5th Lapland Reindeer as the Levi tradition prize.
According to FIS’s website, she stated that “I have no ideas” about a team name. However, they could have a discussion later. I’ll think of a name tomorrow or later. “I never come up with a race name in advance, as I do not want to ruin it.”
