Mikaela Shiffrin captures Crystal Globe with 60th slalom win, 97th World Cup victory
Mikaela Shiffrin extended her record career haul to 97 World Cup victories when the American won the last slalom of the season at the alpine World Cup finals in the Austrian resort of Saalbach on Saturday.
Shiffrin was second-fastest after the first run in her signature discipline, 0.11 seconds behind Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson, but stormed to her 60th slalom victory with a spectacular second run. She posted a two-run time of one minute 53.22 seconds.
With her mother and coach Eileen watching on, the 29-year-old Shiffrin was handed the Crystal Globe soon after and held it aloft while pumping her fist before kissing the trophy and acknowledging the crowd.
Shiffrin, who was out of action for several weeks after injuring her knee in January, had already won her eighth slalom globe last weekend in Åre, Sweden.
“It’s been a wild season so I’m really happy to be here and see the final race of the season go well. I’m looking forward to the next season already,” Shiffrin said.
WATCH | Shiffrin overtakes Larsson with sensational 2nd run to prevail in Austria:
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The victory in Saalbach, Austria, marked Shiffrin’s record-extending 97th career world cup win.
“It’s a little bit hard to process it [the records] all. It makes me feel so invigorated and so alive, I’m trying to soak it all in.
“I never really focus too much on the numbers but now I feel OK with them. It’s not pressure, it’s just an honour.”
Larsson looked set to pip Shiffrin to the top of the podium but made a mistake halfway through her second run, and the Swede eventually slipped to third place (1:53.85) behind Norway’s Mina Furst Holtmann (1:53.76).
Toronto’s Ali Nullmeyer was seventh in 1:54.28, 1.06 seconds behind Shiffrin. The lone Canadian in the competition sat fourth after her opening run of 54.01, just 91-100ths of a second back of Larsson.
