American Mikaela Shiffrin extended her record by achieving her 100th Alpine Skiing World Cup victory in the Italian resort of Sestriere.
The athlete claimed the victory in the slalom, finishing 0.61 seconds ahead of Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic in second place. American Paula Moltzan secured third place, while world champion Camille Rast was eliminated after crashing in her first run.
With this win, she became the first skier–male or female–to achieve 100 World Cup race victories, setting an incredible milestone in the sport.
Shiffrin’s journey to 100
Shiffrin’s quest for her 100th career World Cup win was delayed after she crashed during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, last November, where she sustained a puncture wound to her abdomen.
She then returned to competition at the end of January and went on to equal the record for the most World Championships medals in her career, securing her 15th in Saalbach earlier this month. Shiffrin and downhill champion Breezy Johnson won gold in the newly introduced women’s team event.
In January 2023, Shiffrin surpassed her fellow American Lindsey Vonn by winning her 83rd World Cup race, setting a new record for the most World Cup victories by a female skier.
Shiffrin seemed slightly out of form in her World Cup return, finishing 25th in the Sestriere giant slalom on Friday and failing to qualify for the second run in the same event on Saturday, but managed to achieve her goal.
In a social media post, the athlete admitted: “Before stepping back into the start gate of Giant Slalom, I want to thank my teammates who have helped me to wrap my head around the realness and validity of the psychological symptoms involved in this return. They have helped me to understand that the only way forward (aside from time) is to keep trying. Also, a special thanks to my team for their work and patience and determination that we can tackle this challenge, together.”
“I do not yet feel entirely myself… But I do feel enough of myself to be here. And for now, that is enough,” she added.