Shiffrin inks partnership with Vail Valley communities

Ceil Folz, Andy Daly, Mikaela Shiffrin and Rich Carroll agree to a one-year partnership. VVF

VAIL, Colo. — The Vail Valley has come together to support their own Olympic champion, Mikaela Shiffrin, in a partnership that will see the 19-year-old Eagle-Vail resident help endorse her community and the 2015 World Championships over the course of the coming year.

“I was born and raised here,” offered Shiffrin. “I’m just so happy to be part of this group, part of the scene, and to be able to give back a little bit. And, I can’t wait for Vail/Beaver Creek 2015.”

The one-year partnership features a collaboration of funding partners that include the Town of Vail, the Town of Avon and the Vail Valley Foundation/2015 World Championships Organizing Committee.

“The Town of Vail couldn’t be more excited to be part of this partnership,” offered Vail Mayor Andy Daly. “We are so proud of Mikaela, not only for everything she has accomplished, but also for the way that she represents our valley day in and day out.”

“We all felt very strongly that our entire community should come together to support Mikaela,” explained Avon Mayor Rich Carroll. “The Town of Avon is proud to support this effort and I know we all look forward to the coming year, especially when Mikaela races at home during the World Championships.”

“The Vail Valley is unbelievably blessed to have two great athletes that will represent this community in 2015,” added Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation and head of the 2015 World Championships Organizing Committee. “We are thrilled to be a part of this collaborative effort to support Mikaela”

On Feb. 21, 2014, the now 19-year-old Shiffrin became the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history, with her 0.53-second victory in Sochi over Austria’s Marlies Schild. Four days earlier, she made her Olympic debut with a fifth-place showing in the giant slalom.

In addition to her Olympic exploits, Shiffrin recorded her fifth World Cup slalom victory of the 2013-14 season March 15 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland to wrap up her second consecutive World Cup slalom title. Over the course of the past two winters, Shiffrin has claimed a total of nine World Cup slalom wins.

Scheduled from Feb. 2-15 of 2015, the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek are expected to showcase athletes from over 70 nations, with an estimated 750 million worldwide television viewers and an onsite media and broadcast entourage of approximately 1,500 members.

Release courtesy of the VVF