Mikaela Shiffrin breaks Lindsey Vonn's World Cup record with 83rd race win
Double Olympic gold medallist Shiffrin moved to 83 World Cup wins with Giant Slalom race victory in Kronplatz, Italy, to move ahead of fellow American Vonn in the all-time rankings.
Alpine Skiing
Mikaela Shiffrin became the most successful female alpine skier in World Cup history thanks to her 83rd race win on Tuesday (24 January).
The double Olympic gold medallist from America went into the Giant Slalom race tied with compatriot Lindsey Vonn on the all-time list, but didn't seem to be feeling the pressure as she blasted to the top of the first round leaderboard.
Beijing 2022 Super-G Olympic gold medallist Lara Gut-Behrami ensured it'd be an instense finish with a near-faultless effort on the penultimate run of the competition, but Shiffrin kept her cool to go faster again and take the victory.
Switzerland's Gut-Behrami finished second, while home hero Federica Brignone completed the podium in third.
Slovakia's reigning Slalom Olympic champion Petra Vlhova finished in fourth.
"There's too much excitement to feel and it's hard to explain. I just try to breathe a bit and enjoy it and I'm excited for two more runs tomorrow as it's in really good condition," Shiffrin said after her historic win.
"The level is so high. You have to be pushing to the limit and if you make one mistake then you're off the podium and down in fifth or tenth position.
"You have to take risks and sometimes they'll work, sometimes they won't. That's when it's really exciting."
Mikaela Shiffrin closes in on Ingemar Stenmark's record
Shiffrin now only trails Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in the overall World Cup rankings for men and women. He won 86 career titles.
The USA athlete will have the opportunity to win an 84th FIS World Cup crown tomorrow (25 January) in the second Giant Slalom event in Kronplatz.
Shiffrin moves top of the Giant Slalom women's rankings for the 2022/23 season with 500 points, leapfrogging Marta Bassino who now has 451.
In the overall World Cup standings, Shiffrin continues to lead with 1,417 points while Gut-Behrami is up to second with 861.
This season, Shiffrin is seeking a fifth overall crown which would put her second on the all-time winner's list behind Austria's Annemarie Moser-Pröll, who has six titles to her name.