Mikaela Shiffrin at Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Giant Slalom - Source: Getty

"Not glamourous" - Mikaela Shiffrin opens up on her 'meditative' moment as part of her pre-race rituals

Modified Dec 23, 2024 15:01 GMT

Mikaela Shiffrin recently revealed her unconventional pre-race ritual, a 20-minute power nap that helps her prepare for challenging competitive games such as World Cup Alpine skiing. This essential practice allows her to find focus and calm amid the high-pressure environment of race day.

The skiing champion, reflecting on her journey and lessons from 2024, emphasized the role of passion in her accomplishments. She fondly recalled her first World Cup victory and cherished childhood memories, crediting her dedication and rituals as key components of her success.

During an interview with Refinery29 in December 2024, the alpine skiing champion detailed her unique approach to staying composed during competition. Describing this brief 'meditative moment', the 29-year-old answered to a question:

"Do you have any pre-race rituals?"

The skiing champion responded:

"Race day is a little bit of a hurry-up-and-wait situation, so if I can fit in a 20-minute power nap, literally anywhere normally it's on the floor of the hospitality tent that they put up for the athletes so it's not glamourous it's definitely not in the bed, but that's my meditative moment," she said.

In addition, the World Cup champion shared her 'mama, I made it' moment, recalling her inaugural World Cup victory in December 2013 in Åre, Sweden.

Mikaela Shiffrin has enjoyed a dominant career, amassing 17 global medals. She has secured podium finishes 17 times at the Olympic Games and World Championships, including two golds and a silver at the Winter Games, along with seven golds, four silvers and three bronzes at the World Championships. With 62 World Cup slalom victories, she holds the record for the most wins by any skier - male or female - in a single discipline.

Mikaela Shiffrin expresses gratitude to support team amid injury recovery

Mikaela Shiffrin at STIFEL Killington World Cup - Women's Giant Slalom - Source: Getty

Mikaela Shiffrin faces uncertainty about her return to competitive skiing this season following a severe injury sustained during a giant slalom run in Killington on November 30. The crash caused a deep puncture wound to her oblique muscle, leading to significant trauma. Despite initial medical intervention, which included cleaning the wound and using a wound vacuum to drain fluid, complications arose during her recovery.

On December 12, she underwent surgery to remove a fluid pocket and repair the torn muscle near her pelvis after the wound vacuum proved insufficient. Reflecting on her injury, she expressed gratitude to her medical team and support network for their role in her recovery process.

"We can look at acute oblique tears in baseball, hockey, and other sports, but ski racing is different. When you think about the force of a GS turn or, a slalom turn or, a super-G turn, it's hard to know what the muscle will withstand. We're giving it a couple of weeks to see. I think we'll get a clearer view each day of how it's going to work," she said via (Olympics.com).

During her recovery period, she posted a video highlighting her hospital struggles and expressed gratitude on Instagram writing:

"Just a little appreciation post for all who have been helping me in this process to recover as well as possible!"

Mikaela Shiffrin was nearing her 100th career World Cup victory when she crashed during the second run of the giant slalom.