STOCKHOLM – Mikaela Shiffrin is much better than I was, legendary Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark told AP. The American star is one win away from equaling Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup wins.
“It can’t be compared at all, she’s much better than I was,” says sixty-six-year-old Stenmark, a star of the 1970s and 1980s.
“She’s got everything. She’s physically strong, she’s got good technique and a strong head. I think it’s that combination that makes her so good. And I’m also impressed with how she does in slalom and super-G and downhill. So good in all I wasn’t in the disciplines,” Stenmark said.
The former Swedish star collected all his wins in the WC in spinning disciplines – 40 in slalom and 46 in giant slalom. Shiffrin is also strong in technical disciplines, with 52 wins in slalom, 19 in giant slalom and five in parallel races, but she also managed to win in super-G (5), downhill (3) and combined (1).
He watches the race on TV
Stenmark knows these numbers well because he has followed Shiffrin’s career closely. “I’ve seen most of her races. She has a good feel for the snow. She can adapt to different snow conditions,” praised the American two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion.
After winning three medals at the World Championships in France, Shiffrin will return to the World Cup in Kvitfjelle, Norway later this week, where she has two super giant slaloms and a downhill scheduled. If Stenmarka does not equalize here, he will have another chance next week symbolically in Sweden, in giant slalom or slalom in Aare.
Photo gallery (2)
Source: SITA/AP/Marco Trovati
Stenmark will not be there personally, even if it was an opportunity to congratulate Shiffrin on breaking the record. “No, I won’t go there. I’m sorry, but I won’t. But of course I’ll watch on TV,” Stenmark said.
He explained that he did not want to draw attention to Shiffrin on Swedish soil, when her opponents are domestic racers, for example, the Olympic giant slalom champion Sara Hector. “That’s why it would seem a bit strange for me to go to Aare to celebrate Shiffrin when the Swedish skiers will also be there. If it was somewhere else, it would be easier.” he said.
He thus prepared himself for the opportunity to meet the most successful female skier in the history of the World Cup in person. “I don’t know her personally, but she seems like a very nice person,” said Stenmark, who was at the SP race for the last time in 2019 in Aare, where another American, Lindsey Vonn, invited him to her career farewell.
Different eras
Stenmark and Shiffrin race in very different eras. The 27-year-old native of Vail has more races and disciplines at her disposal than Stenmark, and there has been a dramatic development in technique since the end of his career.
“It’s all completely different, but I liked it the way it was in my day. The only thing I would take is carving skis.” Stenmark said of the multi-cut skis that help with turning.
“I think that skiing today is easier than before, but on the other hand it is more difficult to win because there are many great skiers now. You only have to make a small mistake and it is already difficult to win.”
Although mistakes are not avoided even by Shiffrin, who, for example, did not bring a single medal from last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing despite great expectations, she still has a great success rate of 35 percent of the races won. “I think he will win more than 100. It depends on how long he skis, but 100 for sure.” Stenmark predicts Shiffrin’s continued dominance.
- Author: © List
- Source: CTK
