Shiffrin Finds New Gear In Speed

Mikaela Shiffrin and slalom go together like peanut butter and jelly; spaghetti and bolognese; or President Donald Trump and Twitter. Some things just go hand in hand. The American has won 26 World Cup slalom races, roughly 50 percent of the races she has entered in that discipline. She knows how to knife a tight turn and wiggle gracefully through a flush. Watching her is a lot like watching a dancer–an aggressive, badass dancer.

It seems the athlete, who has been referred to as a child prodigy, continues to get better with age. Shiffrin is taking her 22 years of experience into downhill and super-G, and at Lake Louise, Canada, she proved she has got the chops to podium in the speed disciplines–in tough conditions no less.

On Friday, officials, coaches and athletes did not expect the snowfall to start until 2 p.m. local time, which would have been the end of the race. Instead Mother Nature brought the storm in early with the snow starting just as the first forerunner was kicking out of the start gate. Shiffrin had the benefit of an early bib, number 10, which resulted in a third place finish.

“I mean, I’m definitely really excited,” she shared modestly after her first podium result. “I feel like I skied really well. I’m certainly one of the lucky ones being on the right side of the snow today. I think the track slowed down a lot, so I’m thankful for that. I capitalized on it, so that’s a good thing. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow” turned into a big deal. On Saturday, Shiffrin carried her momentum into the second downhill despite the fact that Lake Louise Ski Area came to a screeching halt when a fire at a power substation knocked out electricity to the entire venue. Shiffrin was one of many athletes that were caught on the chairlift as they headed to inspection around 10 a.m. local time. People were stranded for more than a half hour before the resort was able to draw on a reserve power source to run the chairlift just long enough to evacuate everyone. For the race, athletes were towed behind a snowcat up to the lowered start while essentials technology like timing ran on generators.

This is how the #fisalpine ladies are getting up to the course for inspection at @AlpineSkiWC DH. It’s like a snow cat T-bar. #WorldCupLakeLouise pic.twitter.com/ry2qtNiqET

— Gabbi Hall (@hall_gabbi) December 2, 2017

Fans would have never known that Shiffrin’s race-day plan had been disrupted. The American took her first World Cup downhill win ever, proving that Friday’s race was not just luck. However, Shiffrin did feel that the shortened course, which began at the men’s super-G start, played to her advantage.

“Shortening the distance was definitely an advantage towards me,” she shared. “The top section is flat. I’m not as good up there, but from where we started, most of the way down, it’s fairly technical, and I felt really good about that yesterday, so I took even a little bit more risk today, and it paid off just barely and that was really cool. I also had really good light. Some of those other girls had fog. It was really dark as well, so I definitely know that I was lucky yesterday and today, but I skied well and I took some risk and it was really fun.”

Her mother, Eileen, who famously straddles the role of coach and parent, was still stunned in the minutes after the race.

“It’s really surreal,” Eileen shared excitedly. “I’m actually still in shock in a way. In another way, I’m not. Even Conny Huetter was just saying, ‘Why are you so surprised?’ because we were all training in Copper a week ago, and she was very fast there. I’m not totally surprised, but somehow, doing it on a race day makes it more definite, more confirmed, and I’m still a little bit shocked actually.”

Eileen admitted she was nervous during Saturday’s race, saying she had a bad feeling when their usual race day routine got thrown out of whack due to the power outage.

“I was nervous today about it, and I just wanted her to get down safely,” she continued. “I get nervous at the slalom and the GS’s, and I’m probably less nervous at the downhills because I know Mikaela’s a very good governor, and she’ll take her foot off the gas in a safe way if she feels like she’s in over her head. Pretty sure she’ll be safe for quite a long time for that reason.”

The wild moments in Shiffrin’s run gave Eileen a little bit more to be nervous about.

“I had a pretty close, almost run in, with the fence on Fish Net,” Shiffrin calmly recalled. “I kept thinking yesterday I did it pretty well there. I just had one spot that I wanted to clean up today, and I went into it like, I almost closed my eyes like ‘Wait for one more second and now go,’ and I was just a tiny bit too late and hit a bit of a bump and high fived the fence and got back into the course, but actually I don’t think I lost a ton of speed there.”

Even if Shiffrin lost some speed, she walked away with a win. She was joined by Germany’s giant slalom powerhouse Viktoria Rebensburg in second place and Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin in third, an interesting podium for a downhill race.

“It’s a crazy podium,” said Gisin after the race. “It’s insane that Mikaela won her first downhill after the podium already yesterday. And I was sure that Vicky Rebensburg will do fine this weekend…but my podium right here, I’m actually very surprised. I thought maybe it could happen in Val d’Isere, but it’s the first time for me in Lake Louise. I got not so lucky with the visibility on top, so I’m just happy I got so lucky on the bottom and could ski that well.”

Success like Shiffrin’s could go to anyone’s head, but it doesn’t and that’s what her mom loves about her.

“I am the most proud of Mikaela because I think she’s grounded,” Eileen gushed. “She’s very compassionate. She’s aware of what’s going on around her, and I think that she’s very selfless. She cares about other people and what’s going on. She cares about the team, her teammates, and you know, she could be otherwise, but she’s not. I don’t consider her a diva, and I love that about her. I really respect that about her.”

Shiffrin, who now has the red bib in this discipline, does not have plans to race any other downhills this season. And why mess up her new stat: 0n the podium in 50 percent of all downhill races?  However, she hasn’t entirely discounted the idea of racing in the event at the Olympic Winter Games–even if, according to her, it’s fifth on the priority list of events for her to compete in.

The American will have another shot at the podium on Sunday in the women’s super-G at Lake Louise.

Top 10 (Dec. 1)

1. Cornelia Huetter (AUT) – Voelkl / Marker / Dalbello
2. Tina Weirather (LIE) – Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) –  Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4. Elena Fanchini (ITA) – Dynastar / Lange / Look
5. Jacqueline Wiles (USA) – Rossignol / Look / Rossignol
6. Sofia Goggia (ITA) – Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7. Viktoria Rebensburg (GER) – Stoeckli / Lange / Marker
8. Michelle Gisin (SUI) –  Rossignol / Look / Rossignol
9. Lara Gut (SUI) –  Head / Head / Head
10. Breezy Johnson (USA) –  Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

Top 10 (Dec. 2)

1. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) –  Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2. Viktoria Rebensburg (GER) – Stoeckli / Lange / Marker
3. Michelle Gisin (SUI) – Rossignol / Look / Rossignol
4. Cornelia Huetter (AUT) – Voelkl / Marker / Dalbello
5. Tina Weirather (LIE) – Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6. Stacey Cook (USA) – Stoeckli / Atomic / Lange
7. Ester Ledecka (CZE) –  Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
8. Kira Weidle (GER) – Rossignol / Look / Rossignol
9. Sofia Goggia (ITA) – Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10. Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR) – Head / Head / Head

Official Results (Dec. 1)

Official Results (Dec. 2)