What's next?

“There are other things”: Shiffrin starts to ponder

Mikaela Shiffrin is taking a relaxed approach to the coming season.(Bild: GEPA)

Although Mikaela Shiffrin is still highly motivated going into the new World Cup season, she doesn't want to remain loyal to skiing forever. "There are other things I want to experience," explained the ski queen.

She dismisses the comparison to the Taylor Swift of skiing with a grin. If everything goes her way, Shiffrin will crack the next fabulous marks on her course to becoming an all-time great on the slopes this winter. She is only three victories away from her 100th World Cup win, and if the American remains injury-free, her sixth overall World Cup triumph will be hard to take. And yet the negative experiences of the previous season have left their mark on the 29-year-old.

Downhill races canceled
As a first consequence, she has decided to drop out of the downhill. One reason for her decision not to compete in the fastest discipline is her serious crash and injury last season in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Shiffrin talked about timing problems before the accident. She had not been on downhill skis for almost 50 days after her surprising victory in St. Moritz. "More super-G, but no downhill this season," is the new approach.

Last season, Shiffrin crashed heavily in Cortina.(Bild: ORF Screenshot)

Shiffrin's main goal for the season is to "literally stay the way I am". She praises the recapture of the overall World Cup from Lara Gut-Behrami as "my guiding star" for the World Cup winter. With the sixth big globe, she would draw level with record winner Annemarie Moser-Pröll. As far as the hundred is concerned, she is keeping her cool, but lets it be known that the mark is as important to her as improving Ingemar Stenmark's record (86 wins). She has not had any placement goals in the conventional sense for some time now. "I just want to carry on as before and work hard."

Race-ready engagement ring
Difficult months lie behind her. The fate of her partner Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who suffered serious leg and shoulder injuries in Wengen, was a blow. Shiffrin speaks of a life-changing moment, like the death of her father Jeff in 2020. The skiing dream couple apparently even contemplated retiring together. "There were moments when we felt tired." At least symbolically, their engagement in April brought them even closer together. The ring was designed to fit inside the racing glove.

While Shiffrin is back on track, Kilde is still a long way from a comeback nine months after the mishap. In July, the Norwegian downhill skier had to go under the knife again due to an infection in his shoulder. "We thought he was over it. It was all the more difficult," said Shiffrin. Kilde, meanwhile, emphasized his goal of returning to the World Cup. Because he can only train to a limited extent due to his ongoing antibiotic intake, he has now enrolled in a distance learning course (finance and real estate) in London.

Kilde's comeback plan is progressing slowly.(Bild: APA/AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI, instagram.com/AKilde)

"Wants to have a family"
Shiffrin is also thinking about the future. "At some point I want to have a family, there are other things I want to experience - all of that becomes more important year after year." Her focus is still on the sport. "As long as the motivation and willingness to make sacrifices are there, I'll keep going." The couple have had their shared "home base" in Innsbruck for some time now. They both rule out the possibility of staying in Tyrol after their career.

Shiffrin is concerned about the social climate in her home country. She is particularly concerned about women's right to self-determination and the abortion debate in the USA. "There are a lot of people who seem to have no problem telling women how to deal with their own health. That's scary. I'm concerned."

Call for the vote
In the final spurt of the US presidential election, she therefore wants to use her reach to publicly call for people to go to the polls. She will not be giving her almost 1.5 million Instagram followers an endorsement for Kamala Harris - as pop icon Taylor Swift has done. "I know that my voice carries a certain weight. But I don't want to tell anyone what to do."

The opinion leader in alpine sports dismisses comparisons with Swift. Although Swift's songs are a loyal companion for her and there are parallels to her sport in terms of rhythm. Last but not least, Shiffrin has artistic aspirations for herself. Skiing combines brute strength with a certain beauty. "I want to play with this balance between brutality and beauty. There are creative approaches that you can learn from," explained Shiffrin.