Associated Press2 minute chapter
SOLDEU, Andorra – Mikaela Shiffrin won the 21st giant slalom of her career in the World Cup final on Sunday as the American finished the season with a new record.
The victory moved Shiffrin past Vreni Schneider a week after the Swiss skier had reached 20 World Cup victories in the giant slalom. The American has won seven of the last eight races and won the giant slalom world championship last month.
The overall record between men and women is held by Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark, who won 46 giant slaloms in the 1970s and 80s.
“I don’t know, tell me,” Shiffrin said with a laugh when asked about possible next records during a course interview with her boyfriend and downhill World Cup champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. “Just keep going”
When Kilde asked him about plans to improve next season, Shiffrin joked, “We can talk about that later in private.”
Shiffrin secured the all-around, slalom and giant slalom titles this season and extended her all-time career wins record to 88.
On Sunday, Shiffrin also set a personal best of 2,206 World Cup points from 31 starts this season, two more than her total in 2018-19, when she competed in 26 races.
Only one skier has secured more points in one season: Slovenia’s Tina Maze ended her 2012-13 campaign with 2,414.
Sunday’s result also marked Shiffrin’s record 138th career World Cup podium, putting her one ahead of former teammate Lindsey Vonn’s mark of 137.
But Shiffrin’s personal favorite record came nine years ago.
“Honestly, I think I’m probably the youngest Olympic champion in slalom. It was really the only record I’ve ever wanted, like really shot,” said Shiffrin, who was 18 when she won her first Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games. “It was a while ago, and I’m still motivated today; I still had that nervous feeling up there. I was so nervous at the beginning … because you want to do well. And it doesn’t matter in records . You just want to do well.”
With the sun shining on the Avet track, Shiffrin held her first run lead by 0.06 seconds over Thea Louise Stjernesund. The Norwegian reached his first podium in his career.
Canadian skier Valerie Grenier was third, trailing Shiffrin by 0.20.
Three of the top seven finishers did not finish, as Saturday’s slalom winner Petra Vlhova, Federica Brignone and Olympic champion Sara Hector all missed the gate.
Two-time former world champion Tessa Worley finished 11th in what she said was the final race of her career. The French giant slalom specialist has won 16 races and three season titles, most recently last year.