Shiffrin fighting fatigue in quest for 4th straight overall
Mikaela Shiffrin has yet to win a race in 2020 and actually recently recorded a rare “did not finish” in an event.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist knows what some might be thinking: What is going on?
Her response: Nothing that a little rest wouldn’t fix. Only, there’s no time.
The American ski racer’s quest for a fourth straight overall World Cup title seems tighter than usual at the midseason point. Shiffrin currently leads rival Petra Vlhova of Slovakia by 273 points, which is sizable but could be eclipsed in as little as a three-race span.
Shiffrin does find it amusing that something may be considered “off” with her skiing. She’s b een on the podium in 10 of her 14 races this season — and three times as the winner.
“People are like, ‘Oh, no, what’s wrong?’” Shiffrin said Thursday. “I’m like, ‘Is this what you consider an off year for me?’ It’s kind of hilarious, actually. It’s really funny to think that this would be what most people would consider a bad season or poor results. I’ve been on most podiums and won multiple races. It’s sort of like, ‘OK, I’ll take that.’”
Shiffrin was so dominating in 2018-19 when she won
17 races and beat Vlhova by
849 points for the overall title. “People said everything looked so easy,” said Shiffrin, who’s the rare all-discipline racer. “It’s not easy.”
Storied seasons prove difficult to duplicate.
“To me, it looks like Petra’s gaining more and more confidence with her skiing,” said Shiffrin, who has 64 career World Cup wins, which trails only Marcel Hirscher
(67), Lindsey Vonn (82) and Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark (86). “She’s always been an incredible and very disciplined skier. But she’s really finding the perfect rhythm with that skiing style.”
Vlhova has won the last two slalom races — Shiffrin’s signature event — with Shiffrin taking second in Zagreb, Croatia, and then third in Flachau, Austria, two days ago.