NEW YORK (Reutres) - American slalom queen Mikaela Shiffrin is ready to explore her abilities in downhill skiiing after becoming the most successful competitor at the Alpine World Cup, the twice Olympic gold medallist told Reuters.
Shiffrin surpassed Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark’s record with an 87th World Cup win last month and then extended her haul to 88 titles as she etched her name in the pantheon of sporting greats.
A slalom specialist by trade, having won 53 of her World Cup golds in the event compared to just three in the downhill - the 28-year-old wants to broaden her skillset.
The seven-times World gold medallist was named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential figures this year, with the ski community pinning its hopes on her to elevate the sport in the United States, which trails behind European powerhouses in terms of both fans and participation.
Shiffrin recently returned from a training camp in Norway, where she spent time working on speed in both downhill and super-G with new head coach Karin Harjo, the former Alpine Canada women’s national coach.
USA’s Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on the podium after winning the Women’s Giant Slalom as part of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Kronplatz (Plan de Corones), Dolomites Mountains, on Jan 25, 2023.