Another win, another record. She ended a memorable winter with her 14th World Cup win of the season. After today's win in Andorra, with 21 victories, Mikaela Shiffrin is the woman with the most World Cup event wins in the Giant Slalom.
Mikaela Shiffrin has won seven Giant Slalom events this season. Only two alpine skiers has recorded more than six Giant Slalom victories in a single season, Ingemar Stenmark: 10 in 1978-1979, and Marco Odermatt 7 this season.
Shiffrin is the first woman since Anna Veith (5 between December 2013 and October 2014) to win five successive Giant Slalom races in the women's World Cup.
Mikaela Shiffrin achieved today her 88th World Cup victory. Only Ingemar Stenmark (155), and Marcel Hirscher (138), have claimed more podiums in the World Cup than Mikaela Shiffrin (138).
Mikaela Shiffrin has won the overall Crystal Globe for the fifth time in her career, after 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2021-2022. Only Marcel Hirscher (8), Annemarie Moser-Pröll (6) and Marc Girardelli (5) won the overall World Cup at least five times. She goes past Lindsey Vonn as the American with the most Big Globes to her name.
The 28-year-old clinched the Slalom title at Spindleruv Mlyn and the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe at Are. In total, Shiffrin finish the current season with a total of 15 Crystal Globes (5 total, 7 in Slalom, 2 in Giant Slalom and one in Super-G).
Shiffrin increased her personal record of World Cup points from the 2018-2019 season by two points and finished the 2022-2023 season with 2,206 points. Shiffrin increased her personal record of World Cup points from the 2018-2019 season by two points and finished the 2022-2023 season with 2,206 points, 989 points ahead of Lara Gut-Behrami, the second largest lead in World Cup history. In 2012-2013 Tina Maze had 1,313 points over the German Maria Höfl-Riesch. The Slovenian's achieved a record of 2,414 that seems out of reach.
"I think with all the records, the fact that I'm the youngest Olympic slalom winner is my most important thing, I always wanted it. I just always want to be good, so the records don't mean that much to me. I'm going on vacation now, I'm tired of traveling and looking forward to family time. I will get a little bit of time on the beach just for a few days and then back here in Europe for a few ski tests and then a little bit of a longer break. Time will fly by and then I'll be back in Europe for the next season", Shiffrin said.
Thea Louise Stjernesund finished in second place 0.06 seconds behind Shiffrin and achieved her first World Cup podium. Her previous best finish in Giant Slalom was an eighth place.
"It is something you work for every day. Two years ago, it was one of the toughest seasons for me. I didn’t take a single point in Giant Slalom and now this happens. It has been a tough road and an emotional one. To get confirmation that my work leads me somewhere gives me amazing confidence in the future", said Stjernesund.
Valerie Grenier rounded out the podium in third place 0.20 seconds behind Shiffrin. It's her second podium in the World Cup. Grenier had achieved her first World Cup podium and maiden victory in the World Cup in Kranjska Gora this season. Until January her best result were two 4th places in the Super-G in 2019 (Cortina d'Ampezzo) and in the Giant Slalom in Kranjska Gora last season.
"I just really had to go for it. I made a couple mistakes at the top and was not skiing that well. I just kept thinking about my clean skiing at the bottom and it worked. I am just happy to be on the podium. It is the perfect way to end the season", said Grenier.
Lara Gut-Behrami, finished in 4th place, and secured her second place behind Shiffrin in the Giant Slalom standings.
Today's race in Soldeu was the last race for Tessa Worley and Coralie Frasse Sombet.