Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Record 9th Slalom World Cup Globe

Mikaela Shiffrin just rewrote the record books in a sport where she's already considered the greatest of all time.

The Colorado native claimed her ninth World Cup slalom title on Sunday in the Czech Republic, becoming the first alpine skier (man or woman) to ever win more than eight globes in a single discipline. She broke a tie with Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark and her American teammate Lindsey Vonn, both of whom had eight.

The victory came in a place that holds special meaning for Shiffrin. The Czech slope where she raced is the exact spot where she made her first World Cup appearance back in 2011, when she was just a teenager with big dreams.

Shiffrin didn't just win on Sunday. She dominated by a massive 1.67 seconds over Switzerland's Camille Rast, the only skier to beat her in slalom this season.

Why This Inspires

What makes Shiffrin's achievement even more remarkable is her honesty about the struggle behind the success. "Every time I ski, I feel like I could be flying off the course at any moment," she revealed after the race. "So it takes a lot of effort and intensity and focus."

This weekend also marked a personal comeback for Shiffrin. On Saturday, she celebrated a third-place finish in giant slalom like it was a victory because it was her first podium in that event since a serious crash in Vermont in November 2024.

The ninth title win was Shiffrin's 71st slalom victory and her 108th career World Cup win overall. At 30 years old, she's heading into next month's Milan-Cortina Olympics as the heavy favorite for slalom gold, which would be her second after winning in Sochi at age 18.

Shiffrin admitted the historic record barely crossed her mind during the race. "I knew coming to this race that it could be possible, but there were so many things to focus on," she said. Instead, she focused on the course, the conditions, and executing her run with precision.

Now she turns her attention to the Olympics, where she hopes to replace memories of the 2022 Beijing Games, where she failed to medal. With two Olympic golds already in her collection and unmatched dominance this season, Shiffrin is writing the perfect comeback story at exactly the right time.