Six weeks after she had to be air-lifted off the course following a high speed crash, American Mikaela Shiffrin has won the last women’s slalom of the season in Austrian resort Saalbach on Saturday (March 16) to extend her own record with a 97th World Cup win. The result also marks her 60th slalom victory.
Shiffrin’s eighth season slalom title was already assured after her triumphant return in last week’s slalom in Are, Sweden following the six-week recovery period for a knee injury sustained in a high-speed crash in the downhill race in Cortina d’Ampezzo in January.
However, the recovery period put her out of the running for the women’s overall title.
Shiffrin was second-fastest after the first run in the Saalbach race, .11 seconds behind Swede Anna Swenn Larson, but a swift second run saw her storm into first place .54 seconds ahead of Norwegian Mina Fuerst Holtmann while Swenn Larson dropped .63 seconds back.
“It’s been a wild season, so I’m really happy to be here and see the final race of the season go well. I’m looking forward to the next season already. It’s a little bit hard to process it all,” said Shiffrin, who turned 29 earlier this week.
“It makes me feel so invigorated and so alive. I’m trying to soak it all in. I never really focus too much on the numbers, but now I feel OK with them. It’s not pressure, it’s just an honour.”
Shiffrin had already said she will not race in Sunday’s final giant slalom or the speed events next week.