VIENNA, Austria — A year that turned Mikaela Shiffrin's world upside down has left the American standout wondering how much time she has left in ski racing.
The double Olympic and three-time overall World Cup champion is questioning how long all the traveling will still be worth it. Being home has become even more important to her since the death of her father, Jeff Shiffrin, in early February.
“I used to worry about winning ski races, and maybe I will again,” Shiffrin said Tuesday in a conference call. “But then my nana died (in October 2019), and I still worried about winning ski races. And then my dad died, and I just gave up ski racing altogether and thought I wouldn’t come back at all.”
Shiffrin, 25, was born in Vail and is a two-time Olympian who has won two gold medals and one silver medal. At age 18, she became the youngest ever to win an Olympic gold medal in slalom.
She began skiing at age 2 and made her World Cup debut at age 15. She also made history with more than 40 World Cup wins.
She says, "I'm doing it, but it also takes me away from the people that I love. At some point that is going to be too much."
The new World Cup season starts Oct. 17 in Soelden, Austria.
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