Mikaela Shiffrin is finding renewed confidence on the 2025 FIS World Alpine Skiing Championships course in Saalbach after securing a victory in the team event. This win has provided a much-needed boost in her challenging comeback from a late-2024 injury that required surgery.
Shiffrin admitted that returning to competition post-injury has been mentally taxing, especially trying to piece together full runs and memorize intricate race slopes. However, skiing alongside Breezy Johnson in the team combined event where Johnson excelled in the downhill leg and Shiffrin clinched gold with her slalom run helped ease her nerves. “Getting a run on the hill during the combined was incredibly helpful,” Shiffrin said. “It’s been difficult to take in an entire course and put my best skiing forward consistently, but this win has given me a new sense of assurance.”
Despite her team event success, Shiffrin chose not to compete in the giant slalom. However, she is set to race in her signature event, the women’s slalom, on February 15, where she is a four-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist. With tempered expectations, Shiffrin expressed hope that she can replicate the strong turns she’s been executing in training and maintain consistency throughout the race. “Having already skied the hill gives me a better understanding and will help me bring out my best turns,” she added, calling the team race “the best training possible.”
The 2025 World Championships have been full of surprises, with underdogs like Johnson, who won the downhill title, and Austria’s Raphael Haaser, the giant slalom champion, making headlines. Inspired by these unexpected victories, Shiffrin remains optimistic. “This Championships has shown that anything can happen. It’s important to stay open-minded, take each day as it comes, and give it your all,” she said.
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