Alpine skiing-Shiffrin passes Stenmark to become record World Cup winner

Mikaela Shiffrin's sense of timing was impeccable as the American celebrated a record 87th Alpine skiing World Cup win on Saturday in the same Swedish resort of Are where she first triumphed in 2012.

It was fitting also that she became the most successful World Cup skier of all time in the homeland of Ingemar Stenmark, the great whose previous record had endured since his 86th win in 1989.

The 27-year-old Shiffrin said it was hard to comprehend as she celebrated with family members in the finish area, her emotions bubbling over.

Shiffrin had already passed compatriot Lindsey Vonn to become the most successful female skier with her 83rd win in a giant slalom at Kronplatz, Italy, in January.

Saturday's win was her 13th of the season and she can yet add to the tally with the World Cup finals in Andorra next week.

It now seems just a question of when the double Olympic gold medallist and five times overall World Cup champion will reach the 100 win milestone.

Born in Vail, Colorado to ski racing parents Eileen and Jeff, the child prodigy was first a winner as a 17-year-old high school student.

She went on to claim the first of her seven season titles in slalom in early 2013.

At the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014, she made history by becoming the youngest ever winner of an Olympic slalom gold medal, managing to somehow correct herself mid-air during her second trip down the mountain to claim victory.

She ended that season as the Olympic, World Cup and world champion in slalom and her profile grew considerably as media appearances and sponsorships began to pile up for the then 18-year-old star.

Experts said then that if Shiffrin could stay healthy in the perilous sport, she could make a run at the record books and indeed her