Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates with her medal during the award ceremony for the women's giant slalom event of the Alpine Ski World Championship in Meribel, France, February 16, 2023. /CFP
Mikaela Shiffrin won the gold medal in the women's giant slalom on Thursday to become the most successful skier in the modern history of the Alpine World Ski Championships.
The 27-year-old American overcame a mistake near the end of the race to hold on to her first-run lead to beat Italian skier Federica Brignone by 0.12 seconds. Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway finished 0.22 seconds behind and took bronze.
"That's unbelievable," Shiffrin said in a course-side interview. "I was so nervous, my God. Just … I can't believe it."
It is Shiffrin's seventh world title and 13th medal overall from 16 career world championship races. Germany's Christl Cranz has the most medals in any era, with 15. However, she raced in the 1930s when the championships were held every year, rather than the modern biennial schedule. Shiffrin was the 2018 Olympic champion and won five of the last six giant slaloms on the World Cup circuit.
The victory makes her only the fourth female skier to win world titles in four different disciplines.
"This is not an easy position, with the home crowd favorite to … I mean, thank you for cheering for me anyway," Shiffrin said.
Mikaela Shiffrin in action during the women's giant slalom event of the FIS Alpine Ski World Championship in Meribel, France, February 16, 2023. /CFP
Shiffrin's victory came a day after an unexpected split with longtime coach Mike Day. Day left the team during the middle of the world championships after Shiffrin informed him that she planned to take a new direction with her staff at the end of the season.
"One thing I really want to say is just, 'Thank you,' to Mike for seven years of, I can't even say helping me, he's been such an integral part of my team and being there to support me through some of the most incredible moments in my career and some of the most challenging moments of my career and also my life," Shiffrin said, her voice cracking with emotion.
Shiffrin didn't finish her opening event at the worlds last week when she straddled a gate in the slalom portion of the combined. She won silver in the super-G two days later.
Shiffrin is competing in her first major event since not winning a medal in six starts at last year's Beijing Olympics. Her last race at the worlds is the slalom on Saturday.
Shiffrin is also in the middle of a record-breaking season on the World Cup circuit, having eclipsed Lindsey Vonn's record of 82 World Cup wins among women and moved within one victory of Ingemar Stenmark's overall total of 86 wins.