Shiffrin locks up overall title, still chases win 86
American skier Mikaela Shiffrin accomplished what she called “the big, big goal for me this season.”
But it wasn’t a record- tying 86th career victory.
Shiffrin on Saturday locked up her fifth overall World Cup title, widely regarded as ski racing’s biggest prize, by tying for fifth place in a downhill.
“That’s really amazing. That ( overall title) was like the big, big goal for me this season,” Shiffrin said. “I had such a big focus on it that I was even talking about it in interviews in the beginning of the season. Normally I don’t talk about it so much because it takes a long time to figure out if you can do it.”
The American’s quest for another race win was extended by at least another day, as she was set to compete in a super- G Sunday. Shiffrin needs one victory to match Ingemar Stenmark ‘ s total on the all- time overall winners list — between men and women. The Swede competed in the 1970s and 80s.
Shiffrin broke a tie on the alltime women’s list with former American teammate Lindsey Vonn in January. Vonn had 82 wins when she retired in 2019.
Saturday’s race was won by home favorite Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, who became the first Norwegian woman to win a downhill in the 56- year history of World Cup skiing.
Sofia Goggia finished 0.29 seconds behind in second as the Italian secured the season- long downhill title again.
“I feel great, I mean, it’s my fourth downhill globe, the third in a row, I’m really happy about that,” Goggia said.
Olympic champion Corinne Suter and two- time former world champion Ilka Stuhec placed third and fourth, respectively.
Shiffrin and Austrian skier Ramona Siebenhofer both finished 0.79 seconds behind Lie.
The result, however, was enough for Shiffrin to extend her lead in the overall standings to an insurmountable 796 points with seven races left. Her only competitor for the big crystal globe, two- time former overall champion Lara Gut- Behrami, finished 21st.
“It’s pretty wild, actually. The overall, or any season title, is always strange to explain how it feels on the day you win it when you don’t win the race,” Shiffrin said.