“When I was five years old, I wanted to be a ski racer,” she said in that video. “I didn’t even know what that meant. I just wanted to be a ski racer and I wanted to be the best in the world.” While those six world championships prove that she’s indeed become an elite skier, as anyone in her sport will tell you, there’s always bumps along the way. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Shiffrin was disqualified from her first two events after “crashing out” of the slalom and, before, that, the giant slalom. “It’s hard not to dwell, especially for me. I’m always dwelling on these kind of heartbreaking days, but I just cannot afford to spend or waste energy on something that’s now in the past,” she said after her first spill on Feb. 7 (via NBC Sports). “Could have been a really beautiful day to be doing some good GS racing and that’s not the path I’m taking any more this Olympics so gonna reset. Focus on what I can control for the slalom. Still long two weeks to go and I’m still looking forward to it,” She added, “I want to hide the disappointment, but I also I’m not going to dwell on that because that’s not gonna help me at all.” Shiffrin still has other opportunities to ski for the gold in Beijing. From her other events to her Olympian boyfriend, get to know American skier Mikaela Shiffrin.
How old is Mikaela Shiffrin?
The Olympian is 26 years old. Her birthday is March 13, 1995.
Where is Mikaela Shiffrin from?
Shiffrin was born in the renowned skiing town of Vail, Colorado, but her hometown these days is Edwards, Colorado.
Which Olympics has Mikaela Shiffrin appeared in?
Beijing 2022 isn’t Shiffrin’s first time at the Winter Games. The alpine skier made her first appearance at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Four years after Sochi, Shiffrin returned to the Winter Games, competing in PyeongChang 2018.
How many Olympic medals does Mikaela Shiffrin have?
Her medal count currently stands at three. Shiffrin made history in 2014 when she won her first medal at her very first Olympics. At age 18, she became the youngest winner of an Olympic slalom gold medal, per ESPN. Shiffrin took home her second gold (in the women’s giant slalom) and first silver medal (in the women’s Alpine combined) at the games in PyeongChang. “Winning the gold in GS [giant slalom] in PyeongChang is probably always going to be one of my favorite moments of my career,” Shiffrin said (via Olympics.com). “Just because everything that is symbolizes is everything that I hoped for.”
Is Mikaela Shiffrin the most decorated American skier of all time?
As Shiffrin’s bio on the Olympics website states, she is indeed “the most decorated U.S. alpine skier ever.” At the 2021 Alpine World Ski Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, she became the most decorated American athlete in Alpine World Ski Championships history, per the U.S. Ski & Snowboard organization.
What events is Mikaela Shiffrin competing in at the Beijing Olympics?
While Shiffrin was eliminated from the giant slalom event, she has four remaining events in Beijing, according to NBCOlympics.com: women’s slalom, women’s super-G, women’s downhill and women’s combined.
Who is Mikaela Shiffrin’s boyfriend?
Shiffrin’s boyfriend Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is a fellow Olympic skier, although he competes for Team Norway. He earned his first Olympic medal, a bronze one, at the Beijing 2022 Games. In 2022, Shiffrin told Reuters that she and the Norwegian athlete met “somewhere around seven years ago.” “I think he started the conversation by saying ‘Hi’,” she recalled. “He also sent the first friend request. He technically asked me on a date later that year but I sort of denied him. I thought I was being cute, but he seems to have taken it as a rejection.” “He never ever stopped being nice and friendly but also always very respectful, especially because at some points I was in a relationship and he had a couple relationships as well over that time frame,” Shiffrin added. “Last year he got in touch with me again with a really nice and supportive message to my family once I started racing again after my dad’s accident and this time we just never stopped chatting.” The gold medalist noted that she and Kilde don’t really try to separate their private and professional lives. She explained, “One of the most special things is that we can actually share both.” Guess a couple that skis together, stays together!
Who was Mikaela Shiffrin’s dad?
The American skier’s father was Jeff Shiffrin. The Vail Daily reported in 2020 that Shiffrin’s dad “unexpectedly” died of a head injury. Following his death, the Olympian’s team shared a message on social media that read: “My family is heartbroken beyond comprehension about the unexpected passing of my kindhearted, loving, caring, patient, wonderful father. Our mountains, our ocean, our sunrise, our heart, our soul, our everything. He taught us so many valuable lessons… but above everything else, he taught us the golden rule: be nice, think first.” “This is something I will carry with me forever. He was the firm foundation of our family and we miss him terribly. Thank you, from the depths of my heart, for respecting my family’s privacy as we grieve during this unimaginable and devastating time,” the statement continued. After her father’s passing, Shiffrin wasn’t sure if she would compete again. “There was a really long time that I didn’t really feel like it was worth it to care about anything, so it seemed like I’m not going to go ski race again because the most fundamental thing of an athlete is that you have to care about your sport and you have to care about doing well at your sport, and I just didn’t,” she confessed to TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb in 2021. Shiffrin admitted that she “just thought I don’t care about actually really anything in life.” She added, “It’s been a long process to get that motivation and actually the feeling of caring back. A lot more good days than bad now, but it’s still difficult.” Ahead of Beijing 2022, Shiffrin told PEOPLE that she was not “even close to being done grieving.” However, every day she feels “that spark and motivation returning.” “It’s like healing from an injury,” Shiffrin shared. “You get to the point where you can race again, but it still hurts sometimes.” Next, Latest Updates on the Medal Totals and Team Standings at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games!
