History of Mikaela Shiffrin in Timeline

Mikaela Shiffrin is an American World Cup alpine skier widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, holding the record for the most World Cup wins. She is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, a five-time Overall World Cup champion, and a four-time world champion in slalom. Shiffrin has also secured eight World Cup discipline titles in slalom. Notably, she is the youngest slalom gold medalist in Olympic history, achieving this at 18 years and 345 days old.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1939: Christl Cranz's World Championship wins

In 1939, Germany's Christl Cranz achieved a similar feat to Shiffrin, during a time when the Worlds were held annually.

1969: First World Cup races since 1969

In Squaw Valley, the first World Cup races took place there since 1969.

1979: Ingemar Stenmark's 13 wins record

In 1979 Ingemar Stenmark had set a record of 13 wins in a calendar year.

January 1989: Vreni Schneider's three wins

In January 1989, Vreni Schneider won two giant slaloms in Schwarzenberg and a slalom in Mellau.

1992: Brother Taylor Born

In 1992, Mikaela Shiffrin's brother, Taylor, was born. He later raced for the University of Denver.

Others born on this day/year

March 13, 1995: Mikaela Shiffrin Born

On March 13, 1995, Mikaela Pauline Shiffrin was born. She would become an American World Cup alpine skier and is considered one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time.

Others born on this day/year

2003: Family Moved to New Hampshire

In 2003, when Mikaela was eight years old, her family relocated to rural New Hampshire near Lyme, where her father, an anesthesiologist, began working at Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center.

March 2010: Wins at Topolino Games in Italy

In March 2010, at the age of 14, Mikaela Shiffrin won both the slalom and GS events at the Topolino Games in Italy, competing against skiers from 40 nations.

December 2010: Nor-Am Cup Super Combined Win

In December 2010, meeting the FIS minimum age requirement of 15 years, Shiffrin won a Nor-Am Cup super combined race in Panorama, British Columbia. This was only the eighth FIS-level race she had competed in.

March 11, 2011: World Cup Debut

On March 11, 2011, Mikaela Shiffrin made her World Cup debut in giant slalom at Špindlerův Mlýn in the Czech Republic.

December 29, 2011: First World Cup Podium

On December 29, 2011, at the age of 16, Shiffrin achieved her first World Cup podium at a slalom in Lienz, Austria. Despite starting 40th and losing her shin guard, she finished third.

December 2012: First World Cup Race Win

In December 2012, at the age of 17, Shiffrin won her first World Cup race in a night slalom in Åre, Sweden.

2012: Alpine Skiing World Cup season

In 2012, Mikaela Shiffrin secured her first World Cup podium at a slalom in Lienz, Austria during the Alpine Skiing World Cup.

2012: First DNF in slalom since race in Semmering in 2012

On January 3, Mikaela Shiffrin had her first DNF in slalom since a race in Semmering in 2012.

October 2013: Opened 2014 Season

In October 2013, Shiffrin opened the 2014 season in Sölden, Austria, finishing sixth in giant slalom. She also won the next event, a slalom at Levi, Finland.

2013: The Late Show Appearance

Days after her first World Cup finals in 2013, Mikaela Shiffrin was interviewed by David Letterman on the Late Show on March 19.

2013: First World Championship

In 2013, at the World Championships in Schladming, Austria, Mikaela Shiffrin finished sixth in the giant slalom and won the world title in the slalom at age 17, marking her first world championship victory.

2013: Graduation from Burke Mountain Academy

In June 2013, Mikaela Shiffrin graduated from Burke Mountain Academy, balancing her high school studies with competing on the World Cup circuit in Europe.

July 12, 2014: Guest on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

On July 12, 2014, Mikaela Shiffrin appeared as a guest on the NPR radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, winning the Not My Job game at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

October 2014: First World Cup Win in Giant Slalom

In October 2014, Shiffrin opened the 2015 season in Sölden with her first World Cup win in giant slalom.

2014: Sochi Olympics Slalom Gold

In 2014, Shiffrin won the slalom at the Sochi Olympics, becoming the youngest winner of that event. She ended the season as the reigning Olympic, World Cup, and world champion in slalom and was named one of ESPNW's Impact 25.

2014: Youngest Olympic Slalom Champion

In 2014, at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Mikaela Shiffrin won the gold medal in slalom, becoming the youngest slalom champion in Olympic history, three weeks shy of her 19th birthday. She also finished fifth in the giant slalom at the same Olympics.

January 2015: Identified Skiing Idols

In January 2015, Shiffrin named Croatian former ski racer Janica Kostelić and American Bode Miller as her idols.

December 12, 2015: Knee Injury in Åre

On December 12, 2015, Shiffrin fell and injured her knee during warm-up for the giant slalom in Åre, leading to two months away from racing.

2015: World Championship in Slalom

In 2015, Shiffrin won the World Championship in slalom held in Beaver Creek next to her home city of Vail, Colorado, U.S.

February 15, 2016: Return and Victory in Crans-Montana

On February 15, 2016, Shiffrin made a successful return after injury, securing her 18th victory in Crans-Montana.

October 2016: Second-place finish in giant slalom at Sölden

In October 2016, Shiffrin opened the 2017 season with a second-place finish in giant slalom at Sölden.

October 27, 2016: Sports Gala Presentation

On October 27, 2016, Mikaela Shiffrin presented the award for the best Austrian sportsman to Marcel Hirscher at a sports gala in Austria, speaking in German.

November 26, 2016: Fifth in Giant Slalom at Killington

On November 26, 2016, Shiffrin finished fifth in the giant slalom at Killington, in her first World Cup race in Vermont.

December 11, 2016: 11th Straight World Cup Win in Slalom

On December 11, 2016, Shiffrin won her 11th straight World Cup in slalom in Sestriere, Italy.

December 29, 2016: Third Career Giant Slalom Win

On December 29, 2016, Shiffrin won the slalom in Semmering, Austria, achieving her 26th World Cup victory and completing her sweep of races at the resort, making her the first woman to take three wins in three consecutive days in technical disciplines since 1989.

2016: Shiffrin wasn't leading slalom since 2016

In 2016 was the last time Shiffrin wasn't leading slalom at that point in the season. After that she was leading slalom every year until February 2020.

2017: Won slalom in Lienz, Austria

Between December 19 and January 9, Shiffrin won 8 of the 9 races on the World Cup circuit. She won the slalom in Lienz, Austria, to finish her 2017 year.

2017: 2017 Season

In 2017, Shiffrin had a successful season, achieving multiple victories and milestones in various skiing disciplines.

March 9, 2018: Second Consecutive World Cup Overall Title

On March 9, 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin secured her second consecutive World Cup overall title with 5 races left in the season. She later won the slalom at the World Cup Finals in Åre, Sweden, marking her 12th win of the season and tying for second most World Cup wins in a single season by a woman.

December 2, 2018: Wins super-G race in Lake Louise

On December 2, 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin became the first alpine skier, male or female, to win all six alpine skiing disciplines after she won a super-G race in Lake Louise. The six disciplines are slalom, giant slalom, downhill, super-G, combined, and parallel slalom.

December 8, 2018: Second Super-G Win in St. Moritz

On December 8, 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin won her second Super-G at St. Moritz, Switzerland, marking her first back-to-back speed wins.

December 22, 2018: 50th World Cup Win in Courchevel

On December 22, 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom in Courchevel, France, becoming the youngest skier to achieve 50 World Cup race wins at 23 years and nine months. She also equaled the record for most wins in women's slalom with 35, tying with Marlies Schild.

2018: 2018 Winter Olympics

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Mikaela Shiffrin won the gold medal in the giant slalom and a silver medal in the Combined event. She also finished 4th in the slalom.

2018: Fifteen World Cup Wins in a Single Calendar Year

In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin secured her 15th World Cup win in a single calendar year, surpassing Marcel Hirscher's record. This was also her 36th World Cup slalom win, breaking Marlies Schild's record.

2018: 15 Wins in a Calendar Year

In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin won 15 races in the same calendar year, surpassing Marcel Hirscher, after winning the last slalom of the 2018 season in Semmering.

2018: First Downhill Race Win

In 2018, Shiffrin had her first downhill podium (3rd place) and won her first downhill race in her fourth-ever start at Lake Louise.

2018: 2018 Winter Olympics: Gold in Giant Slalom and Silver in Super Combined

In 2018, at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Mikaela Shiffrin won gold in the giant slalom after finishing second in the first run and capitalizing on mistakes by the leader in the second run. She also won silver in the super combined, moving up from 6th place after the downhill run due to a strong slalom performance. These medals made her the most decorated American Olympian and female alpine skier at that time.

2018: Tied for Most Olympic Gold Medals

In 2018, by winning her second Olympic gold medal in the giant slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin tied Ted Ligety and Andrea Mead Lawrence for the most Olympic gold medals ever won by an American Olympian in alpine skiing. She is also recognized for numerous other achievements, including being the most decorated American alpine skier in World Championships history and the youngest skier to win 50 World Cup races.

2018: Success at the City Event in Oslo, Norway

Shiffrin started 2018 with a win in the City Event in Oslo, Norway, and became the first woman ever with 2 wins in City Event. She had her 39th, and 40th World Cup wins at age 22.

February 2019: Third Place on List of Most World Cup Race Wins

In February 2019, Mikaela Shiffrin moved into third place on the list of female skiers with the most World Cup race wins, tying with Vlhová for the win in giant slalom to equal Vreni Schneider on 55 wins, before winning a slalom the following day to overtake the Swiss skier.

March 2019: 15 World Cup Wins in a Season

In March 2019, Mikaela Shiffrin became the first alpine skier to secure 15 World Cup wins in a single season, and also clinched the super-G crystal globe. She became the first skier since Tina Maze to win World Cups in both technical and speed events in the same season. She concluded by winning the slalom, tying with Stenmark for most World Cup slalom race wins, and winning the giant slalom to secure the GS crystal globe, making her the first skier to win the overall, super-G, giant slalom, and slalom World Cup titles in a single season.

March 2019: Media Appearances

In March 2019, following her record-setting World Cup season, Mikaela Shiffrin appeared on NBC's Today to discuss handling anxiety, addressed social media trolls on CNN, discussed pay equity on ABC's Good Morning America and Access, and taught Jimmy Fallon the shuffle dance on NBC's Tonight Show.

April 2019: NBC Olympic Channel Feature

In April 2019, NBC's Olympic channel dedicated 25 hours of prime-time to showcasing 20 of Mikaela Shiffrin's races from the 2018–2019 season.

2019: Record-Breaking Season

During the 2019 season, Mikaela Shiffrin broke Vreni Schneider's 30-year record by becoming the first athlete to win 17 World Cup races in a single season. She also won the gold medal in the slalom at the 2019 World Championships, making her the first alpine skier to win the world championship in the same discipline at four consecutive championships.

January 2020: Six Victories by January 2020

By January 2020, Mikaela Shiffrin had recorded 6 victories for the season, including 3 slaloms, and one each in giant slalom, super-G, and downhill. While these results were off pace compared to previous seasons, she still held the lead in the Overall Standings.

February 2, 2020: Death of Father and Break from World Cup

On February 2, 2020, Mikaela Shiffrin's father died unexpectedly, causing her to take an indefinite break from the World Cup tour. This loss impacted her chances of securing a fourth consecutive title. Competitions and rankings shifted in her absence.

2021: Four Medals at 2021 World Championships

At the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Mikaela Shiffrin won four medals, the most she has won in a single World Championship event. This included a bronze in the super-G, marking her return to speed events after over a year, and a gold in the Alpine Combined, making her the most successful American alpine skier in World Championships history.

2021: Silver in Giant Slalom and Bronze in Slalom at the World Championships

In 2021, Mikaela Shiffrin won silver in the giant slalom at the World Championships, narrowly missing gold. She also won bronze in the slalom, ending her streak of consecutive world championship titles in that event. Despite losing the slalom title, her bronze medal gave her an 11th world championship medal, tying for the most medals won since World War 2, and extending her record as the most decorated American alpine skier in world championship history.

2021: Relationship with Aleksander Aamodt Kilde began

In 2021, Shiffrin began her relationship with Norwegian World Cup alpine ski racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

October 2022: Boomer Esiason Podcast Interview

In October 2022, Mikaela Shiffrin was interviewed on Boomer Esiason's podcast, during which a reference was made to her piece about her father's passing in "The Players' Tribune".

December 2022: YouTube Channel Launch

In December 2022, Mikaela Shiffrin began releasing documentary videos on her own YouTube channel, with themes and content of her choosing.

2022: 2022 Winter Olympics Results

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin experienced unexpected results, including Did Not Finish (DNF) in the giant slalom and slalom, and a ninth-place finish in the super-G. She did not win a medal in the remaining individual events and finished fourth in the mixed team event.

February 2023: Stenmark praises Shiffrin

In February 2023, Ingemar Stenmark said of Shiffrin: "She's much better than I was. You cannot compare... I could never have been so good in all disciplines".

March 2023: 87th World Cup Race Win

In March 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin secured her 87th World Cup race victory, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark to become the alpine skier with the most World Cup wins of all time.

July 2023: "School of Greatness" Podcast Interview

In July 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin did an hour-long interview on Lewis Howes' "School of Greatness" podcast, conveying the message to young athletes that courage to try is more important than self-confidence in results.

2023: ESPY Award

In 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin received the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award, with ESPN posting her acceptance speech.

2023: Laureus World Sports Award Nomination

In 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin's season performances led to a nomination for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year.

2023: Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2023, Shiffrin was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

April 4, 2024: Engagement Announced

On April 4, 2024, Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde announced their engagement.

November 30, 2024: Injury at Killington FIS World Cup

On November 30, 2024, Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a puncture wound to her right abdomen after crashing in the giant slalom at the FIS World Cup race in Killington, Vermont. She tumbled into two gates and hit the catch-fencing but was cleared of major injuries.

January 30, 2025: Comeback Race at Courchevel

On January 30, 2025, Mikaela Shiffrin finished tenth in the slalom event at Courchevel, marking her comeback race after recovering from injuries sustained in November 2024.

February 11, 2025: Eighth Career Alpine World Championships Gold Medal

On February 11, 2025, Shiffrin secured her eighth career gold medal at the Alpine World Championships, bringing her total to 15 medals from 18 career world championship races, establishing her as the most successful skier of the modern era.