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At the age of 18, Mikaela Shiffrin (25) became the youngest Olympic slalom champion in history in Sochi. Since then at the latest, she has been known for her unmatched and precise driving style. In the following years she dominated the Ski World Cup at will. The high-flying pilot won the World Cup overall three times in a row.
But at the beginning of this year everything changes abruptly! The life of the ski star is unstable and the last few months have shaped and changed her life psychologically.
Death of the father
On February 25, when he was returning home from a race in Europe, he learned that his father Jeff († 65) had an accident at his home in Colorado. He died shortly after serious head injuries. In Mikaela’s life she was always a very important person and followed her to almost every race.
The high-flying pilot took a six-week break and actually wanted to go back to the World Cup final afterward. But this World Cup final never came, because the corona virus did not stop the skiers and forced the organizers to cancel the last races.
The Italian Federica Brignone (30) benefits from the absence of the great dominator in recent years and takes the general of the World Cup with 153 points ahead of the American. This means that Shiffrin will no longer be the defending champion for the first time in three years.
Voice of change
At home in Colorado, record slalom World Cup winners (43) campaigned for more racial justice on social media in the spring, among other things. Many of their followers were confused by their sometimes thoughtful and serious videos, as until then they were known more as being happy in nature, with videos showing them during workouts.
“I didn’t feel like it was okay to be silent or to just say, ‘Oh, I really don’t know enough,” Shiffrin said. “I did some research and wanted to be on the side of the people who will insist on change.”
In August, due to a forest fire, she and her mother Eileen had to quickly pack their belongings and leave their home, which was built only a year ago.
Disappointed by Corona’s cancellation
In the upcoming season, all World Cup races will be held in Europe, races in North America have been canceled due to Corona concerns. Including Shiffrin’s home run at Killington in Vermont. The American skier is disappointed, as thousands of fans flock to the site every year to see and cheer on their great idol.
Regarding next winter, the world champion says: “I feel very strong and I have had some good training days. I’m ready to go, but I don’t know what to expect. We are very happy to have the opportunity to race. I want to go back to enjoying competitions like I did in the past. “
Young talent fund
In honor of Jeff, the Shiffrin family and five other families established the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund. This fund is intended to support American winter sports athletes, especially youth. The money will be used to help athletes who were unable to train to the usual extent this summer due to the global corona pandemic. Contributions should be up to US $ 1.5 million. Coronavirus testing protocols and all quarantine measures taken only for winter sports enthusiasts in the US will send the budget skyrocketing. (sst)
