After surpassing Ingemar Stenmark’s 1989 record for the most Alpine World Cup victories ever to become the most successful skier of all time (or the sport’s “GOAT”) in March, American skier Mikaela Shiffrin has now been named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2023.
Writing in Time about her former U.S. teammate and fellow competitor, Lindsey Vonn said of Shiffrin, “Most people thought that record would never be broken, and having a female athlete do it is a really big deal. With Serena Williams stepping away from tennis, there’s room for another big female global sports superstar, and Mikaela can fill that opportunity. She’s really stepped into the spotlight and done a great job moving the needle for our sport. She’s competing against herself at this point – she could reach 100 wins. It’s just a matter of how long Mikaela Shiffrin wants to keep at it. The sky’s the limit for her.”
Shiffin’s Team USA biography lists her ultimate goal as “to be the best in the world for as long as she possibly can; wants to try to get farther than anybody has ever gotten; wants to elevate the sport to a new level and create more awareness for the sport she loves so much.”
Her accomplishments currently stand at 88 World Cup victories, two gold and one silver medal at the Olympics, and according to Snow Industry News, 15 crystal globes through 13 seasons, 53 World Cup slalom wins, 21 giant slalom wins and 138 career podiums.
Image Source: Atomic
