“I'm a little bit numb to it”- Mikaela Shiffrin gets emotional as she expresses her thoughts on inching closer to 100 World Cup wins

By Adityan Pillai

Modified Nov 15, 2024 02:01 GMT

Mikaela Shiffrin expressed her thoughts on inching closer to registering 100 World Cup wins. The American skier got emotional while recalling her journey and revealed that she always looks into her performances as experiences rather than just numbers or accolades.

Shiffrin returned to the slopes for the 2024/25 Alpine skiing season after overcoming several struggles, including a devastating downhill crash in January earlier this year, which led her to undergo rehab and skip multiple races. She made her first appearance in the World Cup opener at Sölden and finished fifth as she struggled with her timing.

Since then, there have been discussions about the American athlete, who currently has 97 World Cup wins under her belt, registering her potential centennial win this season. Mikaela Shiffrin spoke about getting closer to 100 World Cup wins in her appearance at the Olympics.com podcast.

The American athlete got emotional as she glanced back into some of the most defining moments of her career, including incredible title wins and disappointing setbacks.

“It's sort of, I'm a little bit numb to it, just because when I think about my career, I don't see it in numbers. I see it in moments and experiences, and celebrations or disappointments. And it's, you sum it up in a different way than numbers,” she said.

She added,

“But if I take a step back and just think about the sport and what it means that any athlete got to 97 or is close to getting 100, it's, I mean, it's pretty cool. It's pretty weird to say that I'm that athlete. And I hope that the next generation can maybe take it a step further or find other ways to reset records or break boundaries.”

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Mikaela Shiffrin opens up on chasing records

Mikaela Shiffrin at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals - Women's Downhill - Source: Getty

Mikaela Shiffrin expressed her thoughts on chasing records as she gears up for her appearance in the 2024/25 Alpine skiing season. The American skier revealed that she has been avoiding those questions for a long time, as her focus is primarily on her performance rather than the numbers.

"My mentality for so long has been trying to avoid those questions. I've talked to you all about this, like, 'the numbers again, the records, I don't want to talk about the records, I don't think about the records'. Even though that may be true, bringing energy to the sport is never a bad thing," she wrote.

She added,

"Whether you want to talk about records or statistics or anything, and I feel energized right now when people bring up 100. I think it's incredible that people are still following along this journey and excited about it."

Shiffrin will be making her next appearance of this season at the World Cup Levi on November 16, 2024