It was pretty impressive when Mikaela Shiffrin, all of 17-years-old, pulled off her first career World Cup victory just before Christmas. But now that the teen has two titles, it’s time to start taking her seriously.
Mikaela scored her second victory over the weekend in Croatia, holding off World Cup points leader Tina Maze to win the Night Slalom by 1.19 seconds.
“I was really comfortable knowing that my skis felt great,” Mikaela told the Times. “I had a lot of energy and was ready to rip it and ski as fast as I could. It’s so fun when you can get in the zone and you feel your feet come under you and nothing can stop you.”
Maze, who holds a 452-point season lead despite not finishing her second run in Croatia, was struck d by how the teen “just keeps rocking and rolling.”
“She’s a good girl, and she’s skiing fast. It’s really impressive how consistent she is at her age.”
Mikaela’s victory puts her in the lead in the World Cup slalom points this season, and brings her to sixth overall for the year, scraping ahead of Lindsey Vonn, who has been sidelined recently with an illness.