Mikaela Shiffrin sees silver lining after ‘disappointment’ for first-ever DNF at world champs
The six-time world champion opens up on her mixed feelings after missing out on the possibility of defending her combined title in Meribel.
Alpine Skiing
One year after her last DNF at Beijing 2022, Mikaela Shiffrin failed to finish a race in another major event.
This time it happened in the women’s combined race during the 2023 FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships: with just three gates to go in the slalom run, the American lost her balance and missed out on the possibility of defending her title from Cortina 2021.
“I guess the first thing is, of course, I'm disappointed not to finish and not to get a medal, but I'm also quite excited because I was skiing really well,” was Shiffrin's first comment in the mixed zone.
“The truth is, my mentality at the start of the slalom was to take all the risk, go full gas skiing, top to bottom, push the whole way and take the risk that it might not work. I knew I might ski off the course because slalom is like that, there’s just no room for error.”
Unfortunately for her, that error came in the bottom part of the course where the surface conditions were more ‘unstable’.
The six-time gold medallist had almost eroded Federica Brignone’s lead from the Super-G and she was just 0.08 seconds behind at the last time check before her mistake.
“When I got to the finish I saw that my time was somewhere in the right zone, that I made up some time and that was a strange thing to feel disappointed and very excited at the same time and it makes me really excited for the coming races for sure in the Super G, but also the slalom in the next week,” she added.
Mikaela Shiffrin: This is the best skiing I've ever done
Following her first DNF at worlds after 14 races, Shiffrin is not afraid of facing another major competition without medals: "I would take this season that I've had with no medals at the world championships. I'm happy with it," she said.
"But I'm going to be pushing for medals because that's what you do at world champs and you wear your heart on your sleeve and you go for it. And I'm not afraid of the consequences as long as I have that mentality which I had today. So (it's) good."
Shiffrin added that the extra attention from her World Cup records hasn't affected her motivation and focus.
"I love how I'm skiing. I love the feeling I have every time I get on my skis, no matter what event. So it's almost easier to get motivated because every single day I enjoy coming out here and doing it," she admitted.
"Unfortunately, you also have to face the side of the sport where it doesn't work, you don't finish and everyone's disappointed. You know, that's the negative side or the sad side. But overall, it's just been such an insane, amazing season and I feel like I don't have to get motivated. I just have to keep it rolling and keep going with the skiing I have to because it's been the best I've ever done."
During these world championships, Shiffrin will race in the Super G on Wednesday (8 February) and next week in the Giant Slalom (16 February) and Slalom (18 February).