Shiffrin secures record 5th overall World Cup title

Mikaela Shiffrin of Edwards finished tied for fifth in a downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway, on Saturday, securing her American record fifth overall World Cup title with seven races still on the schedule this season.

Awarded to the skier with the most points over the course of an entire season, Shiffrin had been tied with former Vail resident Lindsey Vonn for the most big globes won by an American.

“That’s really amazing. That (overall title) was like the big, big goal for me this season,” Shiffrin said, according to the Associated Press. “I had such a big focus on it that I was even talking about it in interviews in the beginning of the season. Normally I don’t talk about it so much because it takes a long time to figure out if you can do it.”

Shiffrin earlier this season moved past Vonn (82) for the most career World Cup victories by a woman and remains one win behind Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark, who retired in the 1980s with 86 career victories.

Saturday’s race was won by Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, who became the first Norwegian woman to win a World Cup downhill. The women race a super-G at Kvitfjell on Sunday, when Shiffrin will have another shot at tying Stenmark.

“It is pretty wild actually. You know the overall, or any season titles it’s always strange to explain how it feels on the day you win it if you didn’t win the race. But I have started to get used to the feeling,” said Shiffrin, according to the International Ski Federation. The Edwards racer this season has locked in both the slalom and overall titles and has a 122-point lead in the giant slalom standings, with two GS races remaining.

Shiffrin said she’s trying to enjoy the overall victory while acknowledging the chase for 87.

“I mean actually it’s really hard not to think about that because I am talking about it constantly, everybody is asking about it,” Shiffrin said. “I know it’s what people actually want to know but my goal was really the overall Globe. That’s what I talked about the whole beginning of the season. It was the big point for me, enough that I even talked about it in interviews. It (equalling and then over-taking Ingemar Stenmark’s record mark of 86 World Cup wins) might not happen this season but I think I am skiing well enough that it could. It’s a pretty amazing position to be in.”

The men’s circuit is in Aspen, where a snowstorm on Friday scrubbed a downhill after just 24 racers — six shy of the 30 required to make it an official race. The men race another downhill on Saturday, followed by a super-G on Sunday.

Here’s the press release from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team on Saturday’s downhill in Kvitfjell:

On a windy Saturday in Kvitfjell, Norway, the speed women had a great day in the downhill, placing four in the top 30. Mikaela Shiffrin led the way in fifth place to clinch her fifth overall FIS Crystal Globe—which goes to the best skier across disciplines for the season and is widely regarded as ski racing’s biggest prize.

“It is wild, the overall title is always strange to explain how it feels, but this whole season the work has been amazing,” said Shiffrin. “It’s quite special before the final races to have this secured and I can focus on the rest of the races.”

Shiffrin has dominated the season with 14 podiums and 11 victories in 25 races. She still has six races left in the season, where she can hunt for her record-tying 86th and record-breaking 87th win. 

Only two athletes have won more Crystal Globes than Shiffrin: Austrians Annemarie Moser-Proell with six and Marcel Hirscher with eight.

Breezy Johnson was close behind Shiffrin in eighth place and Isabella Wright was 12th. Keely Cashman snagged a 29th place to grab World Cup points.

“It was pretty windy today so that had its own challenges. The surface was amazing and it’s getting more buff every day and you can really do anything you want on this snow,” said Isabella Wright. 

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga was just out of top 30 in 32nd and Tricia Mangan landed in 38th place.

“Today was a great team day. Super stoked to have 4 in the top 30 and to have Lauren Macuga be so close in 32nd. Really great to see that, especially on a brand new track,” said Wright. “Really excited for the SG tomorrow. This hill is so fun and the SG a couple days ago was full on and you had to get after it, so looking forward to another go at it tomorrow!”

Hometown favorite Kajsa Vickhoff Lie became the first Norwegian woman to win a World Cup downhill in history. Sofia Goggia of Italy was second and clinched the downhill crystal globe. Corinne Suter of Switzerland was third.

The women have another super-G race on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Women’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH
*time in ET 

4:30 a.m. – women’s super-G, Kvitfjell, Norway – skiandsnowboard.live