Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Seventh Career World Championships Gold Medal Despite Adversity

Mikaela Shiffrin won her seventh career Alpine world championships gold medal on Thursday, after taking the giant slalom in Méribel, France. After taking a commanding first-run lead, Shiffrin dropped to 12th on the second run and ended the race with a combined time of 2:07.13 just 0.12 seconds ahead of the silver medalist.

The win brings Shiffrin’s overall tally to 13 medals from 16 career world championship races, making her the most successful skier in the modern era. She now sits two medals behind German Christl Cranz’s record 15 medals won in the 1930s, when races were hosted every year instead of biannually as they are now.

The win came despite a tumultuous few days leading up to the race. Shiffrin’s team was thrown into disarray two days before the giant slalom when her longtime coach, Mike Day, left suddenly when Shiffrin told him she wanted to change her staff at the end of the season. Additionally, Shiffrin faced a small protest aimed at her by environmentalists who mistakenly thought she was using a helicopter for training.

“It’s been definitely some high levels of stress these days,” Shiffrin said. “It was very, very difficult today to keep the focus and keep the intensity on the right level.” After the race, Shiffrin expressed her disbelief at her victory, saying “My heart is going crazy, I feel like I am going to faint.”

Shiffrin’s win is a testament to her resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Her victory marks her seventh career world championships gold medal, and she is now the most successful skier in the modern era.