Mikaela Shiffrin (C) reacts after winning the women's giant slalom event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, January 8, 2023. /CFP
Mikaela Shiffrin produced a skiing masterclass as she equaled Lindsey Vonn's women's record of 82 World Cup victories with a superb win in the giant slalom at Kranjska Gora on Sunday.
The 27-year-old American produced two dominant runs to beat the Italian Federica Brignone by 0.77 seconds. The Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami was third, 0.97sec behind Shiffrin.
"I was so nervous on this run, I even had a rash on my face, maybe a bit of that was because of '82'," a tearful Shiffrin told broadcaster Eurosport.
"I wanted to ski well and I did it. I can't believe it.
"It was a fight but it was pretty amazing conditions. I got a report from the coaches that everything is fully attackable and you have to go for it. I have been in this position and given it away. Today I wanted to fight for it."
Her 82 wins have been across all formats: slalom (51), giant slalom (17), super-G (5), downhill (3), city events (3), parallel slalom (2) and Alpine combined (1).
Mikaela Shiffrin competes during the first run of the women's giant slalom event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, January 8, 2023. /CFP
Shiffrin picked up the first of those just over 10 years ago when she was only 17 and has taken just 233 starts to equal the record. Vonn, by way of contrast, started 395 races in her 13-year career.
She is now just four wins shy of matching the overall record of 86 wins held by the Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark, who dominated the men's slalom and giant slalom disciplines for a decade from 1975 before retiring in 1989.
Shiffrin might have equaled the record 24 hours earlier but, after five successive World Cup wins, she could only finish sixth in the weekend's opening giant slalom as Valerie Grenier gave Canada its first victory since 1974.
Shiffrin has never made a big deal of her medals and records and even appeared slightly embarrassed about the fuss being made about this latest landmark.
"Maybe at some point people will stop talking about it," she said. "I'm trying not to think about it. I'm trying not to change my goals for this record. But it's 82 victories, it's a bit indescribable."
Shiffrin had a disastrous Olympics in China last year but is on course for a fifth overall World Cup title with the world championships at the French Alps resorts of Courchevel and Meribel approaching next month.