Shiffrin Wins 99th World Cup Victory

22nd November 2024

Last modified on December 2nd, 2024

The US skier was competing in the slalom at Gurgl in Austria and came away with another emphatic victory. PlanetSKI was slopeside.

She won with a time of 1.40.22 and the result never really looked in doubt.

It was her 62nd career slalom victory with 7,900 spectators watching the race.

It is the first time the women have raced in Gurgl and they were on a 548m length course with an altitude drop of 210m.

It has an average gradient of 38.3% and was 62% at its steepest.

Gurgl World Cup. Image © PlanetSKI

“I was really nervous on the top,” said Shiffrin.

” I could hear all the women going down and their teams were cheering and that always means they had a really good run.

“And it was getting darker and I was like ‘sh*t, I don’t think it’s happening today.

“I knew all the struggles I would have, or challenges and I tried to push anyway.

“And, yeah, my skis felt perfect.

“My serviceman, Robbie, he just, he knocked it out of the park.

“It was a really spectacular day.”

Then she posed on a motorcycle – not just any old motorcycle but a 1940 Harley Davidson.

Gurgl World Cup. Image © PlanetSKI

“Why?” I hear you ask.

See here:

Alpine motorcycle museum rises from the ashes

The museum is owned by the main backers of the race.

At the bib draw on the eve of the race on Friday evening Shiffrin drew huge cheers from the hundreds of race fans that had gathered.

Gurgl World Cup. Image © PlanetSKI

“I am so excited to be here in Gurgl but it looks like it is going to be pretty cold so I don’t know how many layers I need to be wearing on race day.”

Gurgl World Cup. Image © PlanetSKI

She drew bib No 1 – it seemed an omen of what was to come and so it proved to be.

After the first run on Saturday she was in the lead with a time of 51.08.

The Swiss skier, Wendy Holdener, was 0.13 behind in second place.

The Austrian and local favourite Katharina Liensberger was in third position, trailing Shiffrin by 0.52.

Women’s WC slalom in Gurgle. Image © PlanetSKI

The GB slalom skier, Victoria Palla, came 49th and therefore did not qualify for a second run.

Mikaela Shiffrin is in un-chartered territory.

It was previously thought no ski racer would ever get the magic number of 100 wins, but she has proved everyone wrong.

She overtook the 86-win record of the legendary Ingemar Stenmark last season.

Mikaela Shiffin – the greatest alpine ski racer of all time

Last week she took her 98th World Cup in Levi, Finland

Shiffrin takes 98th World Cup win

PlanetSKI first heard about Mikaela Shiffrin when she was a 16-year old racer trying to make her name back in 2012.

At the time she was the youngest US skier to have stood on a World Cup Podium for 30 years.

She was interviewed by PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, coincidently in Obergurgl, for a series we were running at the time called ‘Chairlift Chats’ as James spotted her potential.

Mikaela and James in 2012. Image © PlanetSKI

As well as the racing PlanetSKI’s James Cove is also making his first ski trip of the winter of 2024/25 and will be updating on the snow conditions and what is new for next winter in the high-altitude Austrian resort.

PlanetSKI arrives in the Alps

And just in case you are wondering where Mikaela Shiffrin’s next race is and where she might reach the 100 World Cup wins – it’s in Killington USA next week.

The US Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Congrats, Mikaela on 99 career wins! See you next weekend at the Stifel Killington Cup✨@usskiteam @Stifel #Beast365 #Killington #BeTheBeast #StifelKillingtonCup pic.twitter.com/s5SErQjwtK
— Killington Resort (@KillingtonMtn) November 23, 2024