Nothing can stop Mikaela Shiffrin winning right now. Not the world’s best female Alpine skiers. Not a schedule that has seen her take on five Audi FIS World Cup races in the past six days. Not a mad 24-hours that has seen sleep replaced by countless TV and media interviews. And not even the natural rhythms of her menstrual cycle.
Just 24 hours after becoming the most successful female World Cup skier of all time, the American did what comes utterly natural to her and won again on giant slalom skis in Kronplatz, Italy.
“Today I was quite tired and I am on not the best moment in my monthly cycle, so I am emotional and tired and I just want to sleep. (But) At the end of the day it’s really just two runs that are one minute long. You always have energy to do that,” Shiffrin said, giving an insight into the mental strength that has now delivered the 27-year-old 84 World Cup wins.
It is no wonder double men’s Olympic medallist Aleksander Aamodt Kilde said after win number 83 that his partner’s mindset is “just different”.
It was once again more than enough with the runaway leader of the overall season standings almost faultless on a slope she “loves”.
Smooth and in control in the morning’s first run, Shiffrin led reigning Olympic giant slalom champion Sara Hector by more than half-a-second at the halfway point. And despite Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel producing one of her best runs in years, Shiffrin simply extended her advantage in the afternoon, ignoring the lengthening shadows and the famously steep pitch, to finish 0.82 seconds clear of the field.
Mowinckel grabbed second and Hector third but both were quite happy to give the stage to a rival who has now won five of her past six World Cup GS races.
