At the World Alpine Skiing Championships in France on Thursday, American skier Mikaela Shiffrin achieved a historic victory by taking home the gold medal in the women’s giant slalom. She made a mistake near the finish of the race, but she kept her lead from the first run, and when she saw her time, she rejoiced. Shiffrin’s victory came two days after longtime coach Mike Day quit her squad in the middle of the championships, making the difficulty she overcame all the more amazing.
The significance of Shiffrin’s victory cannot be overstated as she is now one victory short of tying the all-time record set in the 1970s and 1980s by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark. She has won an astounding 85 World Cups to date, and she shows no signs of slowing down. It was evident that she treasured this win, and people who are honoring her back in America feel the same way.
However, not all of Shiffrin’s teammates were able to participate due to illness or other issues. For example, American teammate Paula Moltzan fractured her hand in Tuesday’s team event, which she could not participate in, while French skier Tessa Worley fell on her second run. Despite these setbacks, Mikaela showed tremendous tenacity and desire to win gold, putting on an absolutely magnificent performance. It was a great day for American ski lovers everywhere!
