Mikaela Shiffrin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mikaela Shiffrin

Alpine skier
Shiffrin in October 2016
Disciplines	Slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, combined
Club	Burke Mountain Academy
Born	(1995-03-13) March 13, 1995 (age 30) Vail, Colorado, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
World Cup debut	March 11, 2011 (age 15)
Olympics
Teams	3 – (2014, 2018, 2022)
Medals	3 (2 gold)
World Championships
Teams	6 – (2013–23)
Medals	14 (7 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	15 – (2011–2025)
Wins	99 – (62 SL, 22 GS, 5 SG, 4 DH, 1 AC, 3 CE, 2 PSL)
Podiums	154 – (86 SL, 43 GS, 10 SG, 7 DH, 1 AC, 5 CE, 2 PSL)
Overall titles	5 – (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023)
Discipline titles	11 – (SL – 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, GS – 2019, 2023, SG – 2019)
Medal record Women's alpine skiing Representing the  United States World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Slalom 62 15 9 Giant slalom 22 8 13 Downhill 4 1 2 Super-G 5 2 3 Combined 1 0 0 Parallel 5 1 1 International competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 1 0 World Championships 7 4 3 Olympic Games Gold 2014 Sochi Slalom Gold 2018 Pyeongchang Giant slalom Silver 2018 Pyeongchang Combined World Championships Gold 2013 Schladming Slalom Gold 2015 Beaver Creek Slalom Gold 2017 St. Moritz Slalom Gold 2019 Åre Slalom Gold 2019 Åre Super-G Gold 2021 Cortina d'Ampezzo Combined Gold 2023 Méribel Giant slalom Silver 2017 St. Moritz Giant slalom Silver 2021 Cortina d'Ampezzo Giant slalom Silver 2023 Méribel Slalom Silver 2023 Méribel Super-G Bronze 2019 Åre Giant slalom Bronze 2021 Cortina d'Ampezzo Super-G Bronze 2021 Cortina d'Ampezzo Slalom Junior World Championships Bronze 2011 Crans-Montana Slalom

Mikaela Pauline Shiffrin (born March 13, 1995) is an American alpine skier. She has won more World Cup races than any other alpine skier, male or female. Many people consider her one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time.

Mikaela has won two Olympic gold medals. She has also been the overall World Cup champion five times. She is a four-time world champion in slalom. She has won the World Cup title for slalom eight times. At 18 years old, Mikaela became the youngest person to win an Olympic slalom gold medal.

On February 16, 2023, Mikaela won her seventh gold medal at the Alpine World Championships. This brought her total to 14 medals from 16 world championship races. This makes her the most successful skier in the modern era. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

Early Life and Family Background

Mikaela Shiffrin was born in Vail, Colorado. She is the second child of Eileen and Jeff Shiffrin. Both of her parents were ski racers. Her mother, Eileen, became a very good masters racer. Her father, Jeff, grew up in New Jersey. He loved skiing on weekends in Vermont. He raced for Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Mikaela's mother raced in high school in western Massachusetts. Her older brother, Taylor, also raced for the University of Denver.

In 2003, when Mikaela was eight, her family moved to New Hampshire. Her father, a doctor who helps people sleep during surgery, worked at a hospital there. Five years later, her father got a new job in Denver. Taylor, Mikaela's brother, stayed in Vermont to attend Burke Mountain Academy. This is a special school for ski racers. Mikaela also went to middle school at Burke. But she moved to Colorado with her parents before returning to Burke.

From a young age, Mikaela showed great talent in skiing. In March 2010, at age 14, she won both the slalom and giant slalom races. This happened at the Topolino Games in Italy, where skiers from 40 countries competed. The next winter, when she was 15, she started racing in FIS events. In December 2010, she won a Nor-Am Cup super combined race in Panorama, British Columbia. This was only her eighth FIS-level race. She then got three more podium finishes in Nor-Am races. She was second in a super-G, third in a giant slalom, and won a slalom race.

Weeks later, she won two Nor-Am slalom races in Sunday River, Maine. A month after that, Mikaela won a bronze medal in slalom at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships. This was in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. She had been sick with a stomach virus the day before. Mikaela has said that Croatian skier Janica Kostelić and American skier Bode Miller were her heroes when she was growing up.

Ski Racing Career Highlights

Mikaela Shiffrin started her World Cup career on March 11, 2011. She was 15 years old. Her first race was a giant slalom in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic. A few weeks after her 16th birthday, she won the slalom title at the US National Championships. This made her the youngest American skier to win a national alpine title.

First World Cup Podium (2012)

Shiffrin in 2012

In the 2012 Alpine Skiing World Cup, Mikaela got her first World Cup podium finish. This was on December 29, 2011, in a slalom race in Lienz, Austria. She started in 40th place. She even lost her shin guard during the first run. But she still finished 12th. In the second run, she had the fastest time. This helped her finish in third place overall.

First World Cup Wins (2013)

Mikaela won her first World Cup race in December 2012. She was 17 years old. It was a night slalom in Åre, Sweden. She became the second-youngest American to win a World Cup event. Her second win came two weeks later in Zagreb, Croatia. Her third win was 11 days later in Flachau, Austria. By winning the slalom at the World Cup finals, she won the 2013 season title in slalom. Even though she spent most of her last two years of high school racing in Europe, she still graduated on time.

Olympic Gold and World Cup Titles (2014)

Shiffrin with her slalom gold medal from the 2014 Winter Olympics

Mikaela started the 2014 season with her best giant slalom finish yet. She was sixth in Sölden, Austria. She then won the next event, a slalom in Levi, Finland. This was her fifth World Cup victory. At Beaver Creek, she was second in giant slalom. This was her first podium in that type of race. On January 5, she won a slalom race in Bormio, Italy. She also won World Cup slalom races in Flachau, Åre, and Lenzerheide. This helped her win her second straight World Cup slalom title.

On February 21, she won the slalom at the Sochi Olympics. She became the youngest winner of that Olympic event. Mikaela ended the season as the Olympic, World Cup, and world champion in slalom.

More World Cup and World Championship Success (2015-2017)

In the 2015 season, Mikaela won her first World Cup giant slalom race in Sölden. She then won several slalom races. She won in Kühtai, Zagreb, Maribor, Åre, and Méribel. She won the slalom World Cup title again. Mikaela also won the World Championship in slalom in Beaver Creek.

In the 2016 season, Mikaela won the first two slalom races in Aspen. She won by a huge amount, setting a new record. On December 12, 2015, she hurt her knee during warm-up. She was away from racing for two months. But she came back strong on February 15, 2016. She won her 18th race in Crans-Montana. She won all five slalom races she started that season.

Mikaela started the 2017 season with a second-place finish in giant slalom. She then won a slalom race in Levi. On November 27, 2016, she won the slalom in Killington, Vermont. On December 11, 2016, she won her 11th straight World Cup slalom race. She won three races in three days in Semmering, Austria. This was a rare achievement.

At the World Championships in St. Moritz, she won the gold medal in slalom. She also won silver in giant slalom. Her slalom gold was her third in a row at the World Championships. She was the first woman to do this in the World Cup era. On February 26, Mikaela won her first combined race. She won more races in Squaw Valley. She secured her first overall World Cup title in Aspen, Colorado. She finished the season with more World Cup wins before age 22 than Ingemar Stenmark, a famous skier. She also received the "Skieur d'Or" award. This award is for the best alpine skier of the year.

Olympic Medals and Record Wins (2018-2019)

Mikaela started the 2018 season with a fifth-place finish in giant slalom. In December, she got her first downhill podium (third place) in Lake Louise. The next day, she won her first downhill race.

Giant slalom, Pyeongchang 2018: Ragnhild Mowinckel (silver), Shiffrin (gold) and Federica Brignone (bronze)

Between December 19 and January 9, Mikaela won 8 of 9 World Cup races. She made history by winning the first ever FIS parallel slalom. She won the slalom in Lienz, Austria. She started 2018 with a win in the City Event in Oslo, Norway. She became the first woman with two City Event wins. Two days later, she won the slalom in Zagreb, Croatia. With wins in giant slalom and slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Mikaela reached 39 and 40 World Cup wins at age 22. She then won the slalom in Flachau, Austria. This tied her with Annemarie Moser-Pröll for 41 World Cup wins before age 23.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Mikaela won gold in giant slalom. She also won silver in super combined. She was expected to win slalom but finished fourth. She became the most decorated American Olympian in alpine skiing.

Mikaela won her second straight World Cup overall title on March 9, 2018. She won the slalom at the World Cup Finals in Åre, Sweden. This was her 12th win of the season. This tied her with Lindsey Vonn for most World Cup wins in a single season by a woman.

On December 2, 2018, she won a super-G race in Lake Louise. This made her the only alpine skier, male or female, to win all six main alpine skiing events. These are slalom, giant slalom, downhill, super-G, combined, and parallel slalom. She joined a small group of women who have won in the five traditional disciplines.

On December 8, 2018, she won her second Super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The next day, she won her fourth parallel slalom. On December 22, 2018, she won the slalom in Courchevel, France. She became the youngest skier, male or female, to win 50 World Cup races. She was 23 years and nine months old. She also tied Marlies Schild for the most wins in women's slalom (35).

A week later, she won another World Cup slalom in Semmering, Austria. She became the first alpine skier to win 15 World Cup races in one calendar year. This broke the record held by Marcel Hirscher and Ingemar Stenmark. The race was also her 36th World Cup slalom win, breaking Schild's record.

In February 2019, Mikaela moved into third place for most World Cup wins by a female skier. She tied with Petra Vlhová in giant slalom. Then she won a slalom race, passing Vreni Schneider.

Shiffrin at the podium ceremony in Stockholm 2019 after winning her 14th race of the season, equalling Vreni Schneider's record. She advanced the record to 17 by the end of the season.

At the World Championships, Mikaela won gold in super-G. She then took bronze in giant slalom. She won a second gold in slalom. This made her the first alpine skier to win four straight World Championships in the same event.

In March 2019, Mikaela became the first alpine skier to win 15 World Cup races in a season. She won a slalom in Špindlerův Mlýn. At the World Cup finals, she won the super-G crystal globe. This was her tenth World Cup title. She became the first skier to win World Cups in both technical and speed events in the same season since Tina Maze. She then won the slalom, her 16th win of the season. This was her 40th slalom win, tying her with Stenmark. The next day, she won her 17th race of the season and 60th career win in giant slalom. She became the first skier to win the overall, super-G, giant slalom, and slalom World Cup titles in one season. She later won her 41st slalom race, making her the skier with the most World Cup slalom wins.

Challenges and Triumphs (2020-2023)

In the 2020 season, Mikaela had some ups and downs. She won three slalom races but also placed second to Petra Vlhova. She raced more often in speed events. By January 2020, she had six victories for the season.

However, on February 2, 2020, her father sadly passed away. This caused her to take a break from racing. Her chances of winning a fourth straight overall title ended. The final race was canceled due to the coronavirus. Petra Vlhova took the lead in slalom rankings. Federica Brignone took over the overall lead. This ended Mikaela's three-year winning streak.

Mikaela missed the first race of the 2021 season due to a back injury. She returned to racing in Levi, finishing second. She didn't dominate as before but always finished in the top six. She won the Courchevel giant slalom and the Flachau night slalom.

At the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Mikaela was in top form. She won four medals, her most in a single World Championship. Her bronze in super-G was her first speed event in over a year. She had only trained super-G for four days before the competition. Her gold medal in Alpine Combined made her the most successful American alpine skier in World Championships. She surpassed Ted Ligety and Lindsey Vonn.

In giant slalom, she won silver. She had a small mistake in the second run. In the slalom, she won bronze. She lost the slalom title for the first time in her career. But her bronze medal gave her an 11th world championship medal. This tied her with Anja Pärson for most medals since World War 2.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Mikaela was expected to win many golds. However, she did not finish (DNF) in giant slalom and slalom. She skied out early in both races. She finished ninth in super-G. She did not win a medal in downhill or combined. She finished fourth in the mixed team event.

Shiffrin, as the 2023 overall World Cup champion, with her crystal globe

In the 2023 World Championships, she won a gold medal in giant slalom. She also won silver medals in super-G and slalom.

In March 2023, Mikaela won her 87th World Cup race. This meant she passed Ingemar Stenmark (86) for the most World Cup wins ever. Stenmark praised her, saying, "She's much better than I was. You cannot compare."

She won an 88th World Cup race. She also won the overall, giant slalom, and slalom season titles. Her amazing performances earned her a nomination for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year.

Recent Seasons (2024-2025)

On March 11, 2024, Mikaela made a great comeback. She won a slalom race in Sweden. This was after six weeks of recovery from injuries. She had only done four training sessions. Her performance showed her strength and skill.

On November 30, 2024, Mikaela had a crash at the FIS World Cup race in Killington, Vermont. She got a small injury to her stomach. Luckily, doctors said she did not have any major injuries.

Key Achievements and Records

Mikaela Shiffrin has achieved many amazing things in alpine skiing.

• She has won two Olympic gold medals. This ties her with Ted Ligety and Andrea Mead Lawrence for the most Olympic gold medals by an American alpine skier.
• She is one of only five Americans to win the World Cup overall title.
• In World Championships, she is the most decorated American alpine skier. She has won 14 medals, with a record seven gold.
• She is the first and only athlete, male or female, to win races in all six FIS Alpine Ski World Cup disciplines. These are slalom, parallel slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and alpine combined.
• She is the youngest skier, male or female, to win 50 World Cup races. She did this at 23 years and 9 months old.
• As of November 23, 2024, she has won 99 World Cup races. This makes her the alpine skier with the most World Cup wins ever.
• She has won 62 slalom races, which is the most by any alpine skier in any discipline.
• She has won 22 giant slalom races, the most by any female alpine skier.
• She is the only athlete, male or female, to win 15 races in the same calendar year. She did this in 2018.
• In the 2019 season, she became the first athlete to win 17 World Cup races in one season. This broke the record of 14 wins held by Vreni Schneider for 30 years.
• By winning gold in slalom at the 2019 World Championships, she became the first alpine skier to win the world championship in the same event four times in a row.
• At the 2021 World Ski Championships, she became the first skier to win gold medals at five straight World Championships.
• With her gold in giant slalom at the 2023 World Ski Championships, she extended that record to six straight World Championships.

World Cup Results Summary

Mikaela Shiffrin has won many World Cup titles.

Shiffrin in Åre 2018

• 16 titles – (5 Overall, 8 Slalom, 2 Giant slalom, 1 Super-G)

	Season
		Discipline
	2013	Slalom
	2014	Slalom
	2015	Slalom
	2017	Overall
		Slalom
	2018	Overall
		Slalom
	2019	Overall
		Slalom
		Giant slalom
		Super-G
	2022	Overall
	2023	Overall
		Slalom
		Giant slalom
	2024
		Slalom

Season Standings

Standings through November 23, 2024

Race Victories and Podiums

Mikaela has won 99 World Cup races and achieved 154 podium finishes.

Updated through November 23, 2024

World Championship Results

Mikaela competed in her first World Championships in 2013. She was 17 years old. She won the world title in slalom.

Olympic Results

Mikaela was a favorite to win the slalom at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She won the gold medal. She was almost 19 years old, making her the youngest Olympic slalom champion ever.

Life Outside Skiing

Mikaela has appeared on many TV shows and in documentaries. She was interviewed by David Letterman and played games with Reese Witherspoon and Usher. She has also been on NPR radio and 60 Minutes.

She has been featured in articles in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. She has talked about dealing with anxiety and social media trolls. She also discussed fair pay for female athletes.

Documentaries like "Peak Season: The Determination of Mikaela Shiffrin" have been made about her. In 2022, she started her own YouTube channel to share her stories.

Mikaela received the 2023 Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. In July 2023, she shared an important message for young athletes. She said that self-confidence in results isn't always needed. She herself has doubts. The most important thing is to have the courage to try, even if things don't go as planned.

Personal Life

Since 2021, Mikaela has been in a relationship with Norwegian alpine ski racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. On April 4, 2024, they announced their engagement.

Images for kids

• 

  Shiffrin in 2012

• 

  Shiffrin with her slalom gold medal from the 2014 Winter Olympics

• 

  Giant slalom, Pyeongchang 2018: Ragnhild Mowinckel (silver), Shiffrin (gold) and Federica Brignone (bronze)

• 

  Shiffrin at the podium ceremony in Stockholm 2019 after winning her 14th race of the season, equalling Vreni Schneider's record. She advanced the record to 17 by the end of the season.

• 

  Shiffrin, as the 2023 overall World Cup champion, with her crystal globe

• 

  Shiffrin in Åre 2018

See also

In Spanish: Mikaela Shiffrin para niños