Mikaela Shiffrin wraps up brilliant season with giant slalom record

Mikaela Shiffrin won her 21st career giant slalom at the World Cup finals Sunday as the American star ended the season with yet another record.

The victory moved Shiffrin past Vreni Schneider, a week after matching the Swiss skier’s mark of 20 World Cup GS victories. The American has won seven of the last eight events and took the GS world title last month.

The overall GS record, between men and women, is held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark, who won 46 giant slaloms in the 1970s and 80s.

“I don’t know, you guys tell me,” Shiffrin said with a laugh when she was asked about possible next records in a course-side interview, conducted by her boyfriend and World Cup downhill champion, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

“Just keep moving right along,” added Shiffrin, who secured the overall, slalom and GS titles this season and extended the all-time record for most career wins to 88.

After Kilde asked her about plans to improve for next season, Shiffrin quipped: “We can discuss that later, in private.”

Shiffrin also set a personal best of 2,206 World Cup points from 31 starts this season, two points more than her tally from 2018-19, when she competed in 26 races. Only one skier has secured more points in a single season: Slovenian great Tina Maze ended her 2012-13 campaign on 2,414.

Sunday’s result also marked Shiffrin’s record 138th career World Cup podium, moving her one ahead of former teammate Lindsey Vonn’s mark of 137.

But for Shiffrin, her personal favorite record came nine years ago.

“Honestly, I think probably being the youngest Olympic slalom champion. That was really the only record that I actually ever wanted, like really shot for,” said Shiffrin, who was 18 when she won her first Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games. “It