Stenmark says Shiffrin better skier than he was

To Ingemar Stenmark, all this fuss over Mikaela Shiffrin as she approaches his record of 86 World Cup skiing victories is beside the point.

Because the 66-year-old Swede (pictured) believes the American is already on another level.

“She’s much better than I was. You cannot compare,” Stenmark said in an interview with The Associated Press. “She has everything. She has good physical strength, she has a good technique, strong head. I think it’s the combination of everything makes her so good. And I’m also impressed that she can ski good both in slalom and in super-G and downhill also.

“I could never have been so good in all disciplines.”

While all 86 of Stenmark’s wins in the 1970s and 80s came in the technical disciplines of slalom (40) and giant slalom (46), Shiffrin’s 85 wins have come, yes, predominantly in slalom (52) giant slalom (19) or parallel (5), but also in super-G (5), downhill (3) and combined (1).

One of Shiffrin’s three medals at the world championships this month came in super-G with a silver.

Stenmark knows the numbers well, because he enjoys following Shiffrin’s races.

“I watch most of them,” he said via phone last week from his home just outside Stockholm. “To become such a good skier you have to love skiing, and she has good touch with the snow, good feeling. She can adapt to all kind of different snow conditions.”

After winning three medals in her four races at worlds, Shiffrin returns to action this weekend in Kvitfjell, Norway, where she plans to compete in a super-G, a downhill and then another super-G on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Then Shiffrin has a giant slalom and a slalom in Are, Sweden, on March 10-11.

Might Stenmark attend the races in Are if there’s still a chance for Shiffrin to match or break his record?

“No, I’m not going. I’m sorry for that. But I will, of course, watch on TV,” Stenmark said, explaining that he doesn’t want to devote too much attention to Shiffrin when there are also top-notch Swedish skiers competing, like Olympic giant slalom champion Sara Hector.

“That’s why it would be a little bit strange for me to go to Are to celebrate Shiffrin when we have the Swedish girls also,” Stenmark said. “If it would have been another place, it would be easier.”

Trivia question

After winning two gold medals in the 1980 Games in Lake Placid, N.Y., Stenmark was not allowed to attend the 1984 Games, why?