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10 facts about Mikaela Shiffrin, here we go – 1. Vonn was her babysitter: Today both have 82 World Cup victories under their belt.
Mathias Germannreporter sports
Speed queen Lindsey Vonn (38) was once Mikaela Shiffrin’s (27) babysitter. Later, in the World Cup, Vonn accused Shiffrin of selfishness. Most recently, however, she was on a cuddle course: “She is the best skier who has ever lived,” she told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.” Today both have 82 World Cup victories.
Shiffrin listens to music almost constantly. The rhythm of the slalom poles, which she hits on the ground, is like the beat of a song. “Skiing is like dancing,” she says. Her taste in music is broad, Shiffrin likes pop, but also loves Mozart. “In his works, chaos and harmony are balanced.” She herself plays the piano excellently and sings brilliantly.
Shiffrin takes a nap from time to time between runs. She was once nicknamed “Sir Naps A Lot” – which corresponds to a person who likes to sleep in between during the day. Shiffrin almost never goes to bed after 9 p.m.
Shiffrin did not go to ski school, but was trained by her parents – especially by mother Eileen, who is still part of her coaching staff today. As a teenager, the Shiffrins then enrolled their daughter in a ski boarding school. Why? Because the director thought it took 10,000 hours of training to master a sport. That was exactly what Jeff Shiffrin had in mind. As a result, Mikaela hardly competed in races as a teenager, but trained like crazy.
“Like I’m Dying”
Shiffrin can work like no other in the weight room. “The truth is that Mikaela is tougher than everyone else,” her former Kondi coach Jeff Lackie once said. But Shiffrin’s workouts are not fun. “When I train hard, I feel like I’m dying,” Shiffrin said.
These six letters have adorned Shiffrin’s helmet since the beginning of her youth. What they mean? “Always Be Faster Than the Boys”. When Shiffrin was six, she received a signed poster from ski racer Heidi Voelker (53), a three-time Olympian, with exactly these words. They became Shiffrin’s motto.
In 2018, Shiffrin became the first female ski racer to win in all six disciplines. When she triumphed in the Bansko downhill on January 24, 2020, she quickly didn’t care. She received the news that her father, Jeff, had an accident at work and was in hospital with serious injuries. Shiffrin immediately flew to the United States and said goodbye to her father on his deathbed. His death threw Shiffrin off track, she even thought of resigning.
After the death of father Jeff (1955-2020), Norway’s speed ace Aleksander Kilde (30) wrote her comforting messages and they called. “The talks were a kind of outlet for me. They gave me a little bit of hope that there would be happy things in my life again.” At first they dated secretly, in the summer of 2021 they made their love public. Shiffrin’s mother Eileen to Blick: “Aleks is very grounded, his support helps Mikaela a lot, he keeps her calm.”
At the beginning of her career, Shiffrin avoided political statements. On the one hand, because she didn’t feel qualified for it. On the other hand, because she was afraid of shitstorms. That’s different now. Shiffrin criticized the lax corona attitude in her home country, called for stricter gun laws and showed solidarity with the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Zero medals, many insults
Most Americans don’t care about the World Cup or World Championships. Only the Olympics count. Shiffrin’s role ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games was set: she was to win five gold medals for her country. It turned out differently. Shiffrin was left empty-handed and was badly insulted on social media. She made the letters public and received a lot of encouragement.
Attention ski fans! Now quiz and type races
The 2022/2023 ski season is coming up and with it the “Blick Ski Trophy”: answer questions every day, type ski races and crown yourself as ski champion. Lots of great prizes await.
To take part in the “Blick Ski Trophy”, you have to register here.
Have fun and good luck!
The 2022/2023 ski season is coming up and with it the “Blick Ski Trophy”: answer questions every day, type ski races and crown yourself as ski champion. Lots of great prizes await.
To take part in the “Blick Ski Trophy”, you have to register here.
Have fun and good luck!