Omnipotent in the World Cup this season, the American Mikaela Shiffrin approaches the World Alpine Skiing Championships, which are held until February 19 in Méribel in France, with optimism, she who missed out on the last planetary meeting: the Beijing Olympics in 2022.
Almost a year ago to the day, Shiffrin was having a nightmarish fortnight. Leaving the track in the combined, slalom and giant, only ninth in the super-G, 18th in the downhill and fourth in the team parallel, the 27-year-old skier completely missed her Olympics, something extremely rare in her career made up of victories and of records.
“My performance at the Olympics is still a bit in my head, I was very disappointed, she admits ahead of the Worlds. Participating in World Championships afterwards, it happens in a career, I am ready to give my best. Failure can happen, but I expect neither. »
Since this exit from the road, the Colorado skier has ideally recovered in the World Cup. His eleven victories this season (85 in total) allowed him to overtake his compatriot Lindsey Vonn in the ranking of successes in this competition and to glimpse the absolute record established by the Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86).
“I have no expectations”
In this race for supreme glory, however, Shiffrin enjoys a two-week break, since Worlds races do not count for the World Cup circuit.
But another prestigious record is within reach of his skis: that of the German Christl Cranz, who won fifteen world medals in the 1930s. Shiffrin won eleven, including six gold (slalom in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, super-G in 2019, combined in 2021).
Her cupboard with world medals being already well stocked, the American seems serene. “I have already achieved all my goals at the Worlds in terms of medals. The goal at Worlds is to go for gold, there is no ranking to protect or points to score. But I have no expectations. »
A dense program awaits him: the combined from Monday, then the super-G on Wednesday, the giant (Thursday 16) and finally the slalom (Saturday 18).
Favorite in technical events, Shiffrin “feels
Kilde, luxury support
In addition to her brilliant form, she can count on another world reference in alpine skiing to support her, the Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, No. 2 in the World Cup rankings, with whom she forms a pair of champions.
“Training with him is what I prefer, it’s so motivating,” she reveals. He has such a good eye on skiing, we talk about the turns, the technique, the tactics, the sensations, everything. »
Ahead of her high-flying duel with the Swiss Marco Odermatt in the World Cup, Kilde trained last summer in Chile with Shiffrin, before the two athletes were “on the highways”, as described by the American .
“It’s the most positive influence you can have around you,” she says. I always look forward to training with him, on the snow and in the gym, it’s incredible. »
Kilde notably supported Shiffrin during one of the rare failures of his career, during the Beijing Olympics.
“He gave me advice during the Olympics, I often think about our conversations. He reminded me all the time how thin the margins are in this sport […] and that being on the wrong side can happen. I have to try to find something that I can enjoy because I can’t constantly put myself down and expect to survive this. »
“If I fail again, it will be a shame but I will survive, she breathes. That’s the best advice he gave me, it always works. »
On the Roc de Fer track, it is indeed on the top step of the podium that Shiffrin will be expected.