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With Strange Award on the Line, Mikaela Shiffrin Rises Above Injury at Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2023/24

Published 11/10/2023, 1:15 PM EST

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Saying “Fall down seven times, stand up eight” is a profound Japanese proverb that embodies resilience and perfectly sums up Mikaela Shiffrin‘s career. In an age when many ski racers think about retiring, Shiffrin looks back on her record-breaking victories, recalling World Cup difficulties and disqualifications from the 2022 Winter Olympics, and declares, “I’m a different person than I was.”

But just as Shiffrin overcame previous challenges, she faced another test of her will this season. Shiffrin’s compelling story is further enhanced by a new update from the Alpine Skiing body released in time for the holidays. It is something to be rejoiced by the alpine skiing community at large.

Mikaela Shiffrin sets sight on new feat

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Mikaela posted an update for her fans this Thursday afternoon about her excitement for the weekend races, saying that “slalom is good for the soul.” The 28-year-old also added, “I’m lucky to have come away with a bone bruise but no other major damage.” While the concern was still settling, @usskiteam took to their Twitter(X) hyping up the alpine skiing community. With a carousel of Christmas-themed slaloms with pictures from her past wins, they captioned it, @MikaelaShiffrin is rivaling Santa’s fleet at this point…”

The next two World Cup slaloms are scheduled in Levi, Finland, on Saturday and Sunday. Since the world knows about her slalom specialty, the US Skiing body added, “first slalom World Cup of the season this weekend @worldcuplevi.Shiffrin boasts an almost injury-free record refiling an inspiring trek down the slopes to a new depth. Notably, she has made 13 appearances on the Levi Black course, just missing the podium twice (in 2014 and 2020), and winning six times.

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The double Olympic champion called the reindeer Sun and Lorax, adding them to her collection; which already included Rudolph (2013), Sven (2016), Mr. Gru (2018), and Ingemar (2019), 2022 Sunny & Lorax mentioned in the X post. Additionally, Shiffrin finished sixth in the first giant slalom at Solden at the season opening. With 88 victories total in the World Cup, she sees another opportunity to further establish her reputation by eyeing for a greater victory this time around.

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The next big win for Mikaela Shiffrin in the offing

Mikaela Shiffrin’s winning record unavoidably throws a large shadow over her season and there’s still a lot more to strive for. If she wins her sixth overall championship, this season—followed by the much sought-after crystal globe—she will equal the women’s record held by Austrian Annemarie Moser-Pröll. Moser-Pröll, who retired at age 26 after winning an Olympic gold medal in 1980, left a lasting legacy with six victories over 11 seasons, including five straight from 1971 to 1975.

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Shiffrin met with Moser-Pröll with fondness years ago, where the legend demonstrated her forward-thinking attitude by predicting that Shiffrin would break records even before she had about 50 wins. Now, 70, she congratulated Shiffrin this March, saying she has unbounded potential and that maintaining her health will enable her to succeed to the fullest. Looking at the very achievable feat, Shiffrin said, ‘I’m feeling quite good now, just in time for the weekend.” This path isn’t the end for Shiffrin, as there are countless victories yet for this 28-year-old to clinch.

Watch this story 7x Skiing World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin’s Intense Workout Routine Challenges Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Creed’ Physique

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Written by:

Divya Purohit

918Articles

One take at a time

Hi there! I am Divya Purohit, and I am a Olympics sports writer at EssentiallySports. As an avid sports junkie I delved in the world of sports journalism and started crafting content around my favorite athletes. By means of my distinct storytelling approach, I provide perceptive viewpoints on diverse sports stories.
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Edited by:

Himanshu Sridhar