For decades, women’s sports struggled for the same level of visibility as men’s competitions. But that has started to change, and much of the credit goes to athletes who forced the world to pay attention. Among them is Mikaela Shiffrin – 3x Olympic gold medalist with 110 World Cup victories. Her influence was evident on The Pat McAfee Show, where a discussion about the growth of women’s sports left the ESPN host applauding the impact she has had on the next generation.

During the July 14 episode, McAfee reflected on the rapid rise of women’s sports. While discussing the growing opportunities available to female athletes, the ESPN host brought up his daughter and the future he hopes she will have. “My daughter is definitely gonna play sports. I will force her to be playing team sports.” With his daughter growing up in an era where women’s sports are drawing more attention than ever before, he wanted to hear Shiffrin’s perspective on the changes.

Shiffrin agreed that the momentum behind women’s sports is becoming impossible to ignore. She added, “I think people are starting to give credit that women provide that entertainment in sports. We’re starting to see how exciting it really is. Getting the recognition, getting these sports on television, getting to watch, getting the viewership, it’s all part of that puzzle. It’s really cool to see.”

The numbers back up her point. According to the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2023-24 Nielsen Media Evaluation, women’s races accounted for 52% of the total television audience compared to 48% for men’s races. But it isn’t just about skiing. There is also a huge rise in the popularity of women’s basketball.

The 2026 WNBA Opening Weekend doubleheader on ESPN averaged a total of 1.9 million viewers, the second highest Opening Weekend in network history. The Dallas Wings vs. the Indiana Fever match on ABC on May 9 was the second most-viewed regular season game in WNBA history on ESPN platforms with 2.5 million.

And seeing all this happening, Shiffrin highlighted another area where alpine skiing has long been ahead of many sports: prize money. “Skiing is one of the few sports where women have had equal prize money to the men.” She went on to explain that her earnings are largely determined by results rather than gender. “I’ve had several seasons where I’ve out-earned the men in prize money. It’s really based on your performance, and there’s a lot of opportunities.” Soon after hearing this, McAfee stood up and applauded Shiffrin for her achievements.

The exchange was a window into the excitement that McAfee felt about the progress being made in women’s sports. And Shiffrin’s influence is backed by a career filled with achievements few athletes in any sport can match.

Mikaela Shiffrin became an icon of Women’s Skiing

Some of Mikaela Shiffrin’s career highlights include a slalom victory in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, a giant slalom victory in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, and again slalom at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. She has a total of four Olympic medals in her collection: one silver at the Winter Games in PyeongChang 2018 for alpine combined. But that’s not all.

She has won a record 110 World Cup competitions, more than any other skier, including men. For the women’s side, she is the first skier to win 100 World Cup competitions and has secured six overall World Cup medals. But it’s not just medals and records that Shiffrin has left behind.

Her success has helped to draw attention to women’s skiing. That impact has now been acknowledged, as she was recently included in TIME100 Sports Icons, honoring the athletes who have influenced sports. Speaking about the honor, Shiffrin admitted, “To be honest, recognition like this always feels a little surreal. Even after all these years, there’s still a part of me that wonders, ‘Is this real?'”

 As Shiffrin’s record books continue to be filled and the women’s sports world moves forward, her influence is stronger than ever.