Mikaela Shiffrin Wins 72nd Career World Cup In Dominant Giant Slalom Performance

Mikaela Shiffrin (R) celebrates with Sara Hector (Sweden) after going 1-2 during the women's giant slalom at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup on Dec. 21, 2021 in Courchevel, France.

In the middle of a jam-packed world cup schedule that’s included seven races across three countries so far this month, Mikaela Shiffrin found a little something extra in Courchevel, France, to go 2-for-2 in giant slalom so far this season.
Shiffrin won by nearly a second in Courchevel, topping Sweden’s Sara Hector by .86 seconds. Michelle Gisin of Switzerland was 1.08 seconds back in third. Team USA had two more athletes in the top 20 with Nina O’Brien and Paula Moltzan finishing 16th and 17th, respectively.
“Today was really a quite difficult day,” said Shiffrin, who was competing in her world cup-leading 11th event. “After the last weeks, pushing the schedule hard, it’s been a lot just to get here and we’re just starting this next tech block, so I’m not full tank right now. But I felt like I skied really some of my best skiing and some of my toughest skiing today.”
Shiffrin now has 72 career world cup victories, 10 back of Team USA’s Lindsey Vonn in second and 14 back of Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark for the all-time lead. The 26-year-old Shiffrin is now in a tie for third in career giant slalom wins with five other skiers at 14 victories. They all trail Vreni Schneider of Switzerland, who racked up 20 career GS wins.
Skiers will hit the slopes again for giant slalom on Wednesday in Courchevel before the circuit shifts to Austria next weekend. Shiffrin is the overall world cup leader after 13 races.