SkiThe802 t1_j5pqivt wrote on January 24, 2023 at 6:36 PM

Next up is Ingemar Stenmark's record for wins at 86. There are 14 races left this season. Mikaela has proven she can win in any discipline, but GS and Slalom are her strongest and there are 7 of those left this season. My money is on her breaking the record this year.

Coming up soon on the calendar are the Slalom and GS in Are, Sweden. This place holds a very special significance. It is the site of Shiffrin's very first World Cup win, the site of Lindsey Vonn's last ever race, and in the home county of Stenmark himself. There are 8 races before Are, with 3 of them being Slalom and GS. If she wins 2 races before Are she has set herself up to be able to break the record there.

stanley604 t1_j5qm0yu wrote on January 24, 2023 at 9:48 PM

Pardon this blatant public reminiscence of an oldbie, but I stood yards from a giant slalom gate near the top of the Whiteface GS course in the 1980 Winter Olympics, and watched Ingemar Stenmark carve the gate with seemingly effortless grace -- you could see he was so much smoother and faster -- even to the naked eye it was obvious.

I haven't watched much ski racing lately, but I hear Shiffrin compared to Stenmark in terms of smoothness, so I'm really happy for her success.

_baddad t1_j5rqvqa wrote on January 25, 2023 at 2:28 AM

Smoothness and just ease. She looks like she’s not even trying. She’s had so many incredible saves too that would have cost other skiers seconds potentially and still won.

throwaway77993344 t1_j5wfv47 wrote on January 26, 2023 at 1:05 AM

Every time I watch her ski and think "this looks slower than the other racers" and magically she's just always faster. It really does look effortless.