Image: Keystone
Mikaela Shiffrin is the biggest star in the women’s ski circuit. Last winter, however, it fell into a deep hole. In an interview with “Ski Racing” she talks about the difficult time.
Mikaela Shiffrin lost her grandmother last October and her beloved father Jeff died in an accident at work in February. She hasn’t contested a race since, the corona pandemic prevented her planned comeback in March. So the American was deprived of the chance to attack again in the fight for the big crystal ball and in the Slalom World Cup. A thoroughly difficult time for Shiffrin.
«I was at the top of the overall classification and at the top of the slalom classification. There are so many things that were there. They were almost there. Things I wanted before we lost the most important person in our lives, »says Shiffrin looking back.
The 25-year-old was particularly hard hit when the world just kept turning while her father was dying. Without reproaching her competitors, she says: «They continued to ski, they celebrated when they won. Whoever it was. They talked about how exciting it is to wear the leaders’ red jersey and win the overall standings. And all I think about was: ‘Man, people love it when you’re gone. People love when you’re not there. Maybe I shouldn’t come back because they don’t really want you there. ›It’s a very special kind of mental hurdle to overcome.»
Meanwhile, Shiffrin is back in snow training and is fighting to be able to enter Europe with the US team soon, which is currently not allowed. Is she led by lust for revenge? No, that is far from the American, as she says: “I try to keep this attitude as far away from me as possible.” But Shiffrin seems to be highly motivated to attack again in the coming winter – and then the competition will definitely have to warm up.
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