Mikaela Shiffrin secured her 99th World Cup victory in Austria on Saturday, extending her record tally and setting the stage for her much-anticipated 100th win. Shiffrin led the second slalom of the season, narrowly defeating Lara Colturi and Camille Rast by 0.55 and 0.57 seconds, respectively; both achieved their first podium finishes. The American skier will now prepare for a 16-day World Cup stint in North America, beginning next weekend, as she competes in various events across Vermont, Quebec, and Colorado.
Reflecting on her performance, Shiffrin acknowledged feeling the pressure yet dismissed any concerns about the win milestone. "If it happens, it's wonderful. If it doesn't happen, kind of nothing to cry about," she remarked. Shiffrin expressed hope for a strong performance in front of her home crowd amid high expectations. No skier, male or female, has eclipsed the mark of 86 World Cup victories, a benchmark Shiffrin surpassed in March 2023.
The venue in Gurgl, new to the women's World Cup series, saw Shiffrin lead from her first run, which she attributed to maintaining focus despite tricky skiing conditions. "It feels really satisfying to have a great run down this slope," she said. Swiss skier Wendy Holdener and Shiffrin's teammate Paula Moltzan finished just outside the podium, while Shiffrin's key rival, Petra Vlhova, remains absent following knee surgery. The men's slalom will follow at the same Austrian location. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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