American skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin is on the brink of matching Lindsey Vonn’s remarkable record of 82 World Cup victories after her recent triumph in the slalom event in Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday. This victory marks Shiffrin’s fifth consecutive win, showcasing her incredible form.
Shiffrin, 27, has another slalom race in Zagreb scheduled for Thursday, offering her the chance to tie Vonn’s record and further solidify her legacy in skiing history. Additionally, Shiffrin is just five wins shy of breaking the final World Cup wins record held by Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark.
Expressing her joy after the race, Shiffrin said, “I’m incredibly happy. Today’s skiing was the best I’ve ever done. The conditions were tough, but I took all the necessary risks and made it to the finish line. It feels amazing when everything comes together.”
Shiffrin led by 0.23 seconds in her first run and skillfully navigated the softening, slushy snow in her second run to finish 0.76 seconds ahead of Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová and 1.21 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson.
Her winning streak began with a Super G victory in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on December 18. Since then, she has won the giant slalom twice and the slalom in Semmering, Austria.
The only female skiers with more consecutive wins are Switzerland’s Vreni Schneider, with eight straight victories between 1988 and 1989, and Germany’s Katja Seizinger, who won six consecutive races in 1997.
Shiffrin’s recent achievements are a stark contrast to her struggles at the beginning of last year, where she failed to reach the podium at the Beijing Winter Olympics. With five consecutive slalom victories, Shiffrin was heavily favored to win Thursday’s race on the same course.
However, the event was canceled due to high temperatures and wind, preventing her from competing. The first run was scheduled for 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern Time) and the second run for 6 p.m. (12 p.m. ET).