Shiffrin ends season with record 21st GS win

Mikaela Shiffrin. GEPA pictures.

SOLDEU, Andorra — After capping her record-setting season with career win 88, Mikaela Shiffrin was asked one question over and over again – and she couldn’t really answer it.

What’s next?

“What do you think will come next? How many victories?,” Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, wanted to know after handing Shiffrin her fifth big crystal globe, the prize for winning the World Cup overall title.

“I don’t have a guess at how many,” Shiffrin replied. “Sometimes a part of me feels like that’s always my last victory. I hope not, I keep heading for more.”

Mikaela Shiffrin won her 21st career giant slalom at the World Cup Finals Sunday as the American standout ended the season with yet another record.

Shiffrin arrived in Soldeu Andorra as the winner of the overall, slalom and giant slalom titles. However, winning her seventh GS of the season is a fitting way to end her amazing year. During the season, Shiffrin was undoubtedly challenged by brilliant skiers, but she was the dominant competitor.

The victory moved Shiffrin past Vreni Schneider, a week after matching the Swiss skier’s mark of 20 World Cup GS victories. The American has won seven of the last eight events and took the GS world title last month.

The “what’s next?” question also came from her boyfriend and World Cup downhill champion, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who conducted a course-side interview after the race.

“I don’t know, you guys tell me,” Shiffrin said with a laugh. “Just keep moving right along,” added Shiffrin, who secured the overall, slalom and GS titles this season and extended the all-time record for most career wins to 88.

After Kilde asked her about plans to improve for next season, Shiffrin quipped: “We can discuss that later, in private.”

Norway’s Thea Lousie Stjernesund took second place for her first career podium. Rounding out the podium in third was Canadian Valerie Grenier. It was Genier’s second podium of her career – both were achieved this year.

The Shiffrin achievements are endless. This is her 88th career World Cup victory and represents the women’s new record, 138th career podium. She also becomes the winningest woman giant slalom skier with 22 wins.

The overall record, between men and women, is held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark, who won 46 giant slaloms in the 1970s and 80s.

Shiffrin secured the overall, slalom and GS titles this season and extended the all-time record for most career wins to 88.

On Sunday, Shiffrin also set a personal best of 2,206 World Cup points from 31 starts this season, two points more than her tally from 2018-19, when she competed in 26 races.

Only one skier secured more points in a single season: Slovenian great Tina Maze ended her 2012-13 campaign on 2,414.

Sunday’s result also marked Shiffrin’s record 138th career World Cup podium, moving her one ahead of former teammate Lindsey Vonn’s mark of 137.

But for Shiffrin, her personal favorite record came nine years ago.

“Honestly, I think probably being the youngest Olympic slalom champion. That was really the only record that I actually ever wanted, like really shot for,” said Shiffrin, who was 18 when she won her first Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games.

“It happened quite some time ago, and I’m still motivated today, I still had that nervous feeling up there. I was so nervous at the start … because you want to do well. And it doesn’t matter about records, it’s just you want to do well.”

Mikaela Shiffrin winning the final race of the women’s 2023 alpine World Cup is a fitting end to an extraordinary year.

Stifel US Alpine Team member Paula Moltzan also ends her career-best season. She finished 15th in the final race and earned valuable World Cup GS points for the ninth time this season. This year she earned her first podium and is ranked seventh in slalom and 11th in giant slalom.

The sport says goodbye to two popular veteran French women. Today was the last World Cup race for Tessa Worley and her longtime teammate Coralie Frasse Sombet. Worley accepted her second giant slalom globe just a year ago. Although she hasn’t confirmed it publicly, all indications are that she will move on from elite competition.

Race results and analysis of the fastest three and other North American

Analysis of the fastest three and other North American

The Associated Press contributed to this report.