Skiing - Mikaela Shiffrin: I'll never be the same again

today 18:00
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Old-new Mikaela Shiffrin is back. According to the result of the first races of the season, she returned to great form and famous performances, but as she said herself, she will never be the same.

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In the opening giant slalom of the season, she took first place after two good performances in the first and second rounds. Only Lara Gut-Behrami, who was 0.14 seconds behind, could compete with her. The third Petra Vlhová lost up to 1.30 seconds.

“It’s always hard here, but I went full speed and skied well. However, it was a challenging race, especially in the second round. Even if you know you went well, you have to push even harder. I had problems with that last season. So it’s special for me that it worked out for me now and everything went well together, “ the American skier evaluated her performance.

Not only she, but also several competitors praised the well-prepared track in the Austrian resort, which also wished the beautiful sunny weather. “It was wonderful. The track was prepared really amazingly. We do outdoor sports, so sometimes the track can’t be prepared well for bad conditions, but it was really amazing here. It was a pleasure to ski here. ”

Despite the great result in the first races, he does not overestimate anything. “Starting a season with a victory is great, but it’s just the beginning, it doesn’t mean anything yet. I have to work on myself and improve every day. ”

Shiffrin triumphed in Sölden for the second time in her career, recording her first victory in 2014 as a 19-year-old. “I was a small child,” she laughed at a press conference.

Photo gallery

Mikaela Shiffrinová

Zdroj: Atomic

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I WILL NEVER BE THAT LIKE BEFORE

Last season, it wasn’t the Mikaela the fans were used to. She did not have complete summer training, she suffered from back pain and especially the tragic death of her father from February 2020. However, she entered the current year in a much better mental and physical condition.

She was also helped by a new relationship with Norwegian skier Alexander Aamodt Kild. The audience could also see their mutual support in Sölden, Kilde was waiting at the finish line, where he hugged Shiffrin after her victory.

“It’s great that he stayed here and supported me. It’s one of those things that makes me smile, charges me with good energy. I’m lucky. After the race, I hugged him and said we would see each other later. It supports and motivates me a lot when I am with him, whether in life or even while skiing. Having him here was special for me. Although our calendars are split, I hope to be able to return support to him at the finish line one day. ”

Photo gallery

Mikaela Shiffrinová and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde

Source: instagram.com/mikaelashiffrin

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The performances are back, a smile returned to her face, but it will never be what it used to be. “If I’ve learned anything in the last two years, it’s that I can’t go back. I will never be the Mikaela I was before. I miss a big chunk and always will. But I’m learning and growing. I have reasons to smile, I have reasons to motivate. I’m there now and it’s a good place to be. ”

A tragic event in her life also affected her sports mentality. She achieved her seventieth career victory in Sölden, making her a legend such as Ingemar Stenmark and Lindsey Vonn. No one else has reached this goal.

“It is a great achievement. I’m proud of that. I don’t remember every one, but … It’s hard to explain. It didn’t happen today. It’s always step by step, day after day. My goal today was to ski well, with good commitment. And I’m most proud of that. That I can prove that I succeeded in the first races of the season. “

If anyone thought Mikaela Shiffrin was a sports machine, they would be wrong. “I felt nervous, I always wonder if I could still win, if I could ski with as much energy as ever. Sometimes I feel like I’m falling behind. Such a start to the season is therefore very good and motivating for me.

Despite my nervousness, I did it. It didn’t stop me, I skied well, I didn’t have a block. I expect that I will continue to feel a little nervous, that my heart will pound more … But that’s OK. Now I feel like it’s okay to be nervous, ” the three-time winner of the big globe confided.

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IT SHOWED A GREAT HEART

At the race in Sölden, Austria, Mikaela Shiffrin showed not only great performances, but also her personality. She remained in the finish area as the very last of all skiers, willingly responding to many requests for an interview. She reached us as the last, but she willingly came without a sour expression.

She willingly and with a smile answered each question extensively. We haven’t heard, either from her or her team, that we should quit because he’s in a hurry that there’s only one question to come. She didn’t go away after the conversation. She took another picture and signed for a small fan, who climbed two barriers on the way behind her.