History of Mikaela Shiffrin in Timeline

Mikaela Shiffrin is an American World Cup alpine skier, widely regarded as one of the greatest alpine skiers ever. She holds the record for the most World Cup wins. Shiffrin is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and a five-time Overall World Cup champion. Her dominance is particularly evident in slalom, where she has secured four world championships and eight World Cup discipline titles. At 18, she became the youngest slalom gold medalist in Olympic history, highlighting her exceptional talent and early success.

Sections (4)

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

1939: Christl Cranz's Wins

In 1939, Germany's Christl Cranz achieved a similar feat to Shiffrin by winning three consecutive slalom titles at the World Championships, which were held annually at the time.

1969: Squaw Valley World Cup Races

In Squaw Valley, the first World Cup races since 1969 were held; Shiffrin won the giant slalom on March 10 and the slalom on March 11, reaching 31 World Cup victories and securing her fourth slalom world cup.

1979: Record of 13 wins set by Ingemar Stenmark

In 1979, Ingemar Stenmark had set the record of 13 World Cup wins which was eventually broken by Marcel Hirscher and later Mikaela Shiffrin.

January 1989: Vreni Schneider's Wins

In January 1989, Vreni Schneider achieved a record of winning two giant slaloms in Schwarzenberg and a slalom in Mellau, a feat that Shiffrin would be compared to in December 2016.

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 accomplished American World Cup alpine skier.

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 worked 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 at the Topolino Games in Italy.

December 2010: Nor-Am Cup Super Combined Win

In December 2010, Shiffrin, at 15 years old, won a Nor-Am Cup super combined race in Panorama, British Columbia, marking only her eighth FIS-level race.

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, 16-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin achieved her first World Cup podium at a slalom in Lienz, Austria, finishing third after posting the fastest time in the second run despite losing her shin guard.

December 2012: First World Cup Race Win

In December 2012, at age 17, Mikaela Shiffrin secured her first World Cup race victory in a night slalom held in Åre, Sweden.

2012: 2012 Alpine Skiing World Cup

In the 2012 Alpine Skiing World Cup, Shiffrin achieved her first World Cup podium on December 29, 2011.

2012: DNF in Semmering

Shiffrin's failure to finish the first run of the Snow Queen Trophy race in Zagreb on January 3 marked her first DNF in slalom since a race in Semmering in 2012.

October 2013: Opened 2014 Season

In October 2013, Shiffrin started the 2014 season in Sölden, Austria, achieving a career-best sixth place in giant slalom.

2013: Interview on The Late Show

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

2013: Slalom Discipline Title

In 2013, Mikaela Shiffrin secured the season title in the slalom discipline after winning the slalom at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, also graduating from Burke Mountain Academy in June.

2013: Winning the world title at Schladming

In 2013, at the World Championships in Schladming, Austria, Mikaela Shiffrin competed in her first World Championships. Two days after finishing sixth in the giant slalom, she won the world title in the slalom at age 17.

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

On July 12, 2014, Mikaela Shiffrin was a guest on the NPR radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, where she won the show's Not My Job game at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

October 2014: First World Cup Win in Giant Slalom

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

2014: Becoming youngest slalom champion

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

2014: Olympic Gold and World Cup Title

In 2014, Shiffrin won slalom at the Sochi Olympics, becoming the youngest winner of that Olympic event, and secured a second consecutive World Cup slalom title, also being named one of ESPNW's Impact 25.

January 2015: Idols Named

In January 2015, Shiffrin identified Croatian ski racer Janica Kostelić and American Bode Miller as her idols during her upbringing.

December 12, 2015: Knee Injury in Åre

On December 12, 2015, Shiffrin injured her knee during warm-up for the giant slalom in Åre, leading to a two-month absence from racing.

2015: Featured in Outside's In Search of Speed

In 2015, Mikaela Shiffrin was featured in Outside's In Search of Speed.

2015: World Championship in Slalom

In 2015, Shiffrin won the World Championship in slalom held in Beaver Creek near her hometown of Vail, Colorado, U.S., also winning the slalom world cup title again.

February 15, 2016: Victorious Return to Racing

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

October 2016: Second Place Finish at Sölden

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

October 27, 2016: Presenting award to Marcel Hirscher

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

November 26, 2016: Fifth in Giant Slalom at Killington

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

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

On December 11, 2016, Shiffrin secured her 11th consecutive World Cup victory in the slalom in Sestriere, Italy.

December 29, 2016: Completes Sweep of Races at Semmering

On December 29, 2016, Mikaela Shiffrin achieved her 26th World Cup victory by winning the slalom in Semmering, Austria, completing a sweep of races at the resort and becoming the first woman since Vreni Schneider in January 1989 to take three wins in three consecutive days in technical disciplines.

2016: Not leading slalom

In 2016, before February 2, 2020, Shiffrin was always leading the slalom at that point in the season. Petra Vlhova eventually took over the top spot of the slalom rankings following a World Cup in Slovenia after Shiffrin took an indefinite break from the World Cup tour after the death of her father.

2017: Won multiple World Cup Races

Between December 19, 2017 and January 9, Shiffrin won 8 of the 9 races on the World Cup circuit (4 SL, 2 GS, and 2 PSL).

2017: Discussing skiing roots on Late Night with Seth Meyers

In 2017, Mikaela Shiffrin discussed her skiing roots and aptitude for napping on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers.

2017: Featured in Outside's In Search of Speed and training regimen covered

In 2017, Mikaela Shiffrin was featured in Outside's In Search of Speed, and her training regimen was covered by Red Bull.

2017: 2017 Season

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

March 9, 2018: Second Consecutive World Cup Overall Title

On March 9, 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin secured her second consecutive World Cup overall title with five races left in the season. At the World Cup Finals in Åre, Sweden, she won the slalom, tying with Lindsey Vonn for the second-most World Cup wins in a single season by a woman.

December 2, 2018: Winning Super-G race in Lake Louise

On December 2, 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin won a super-G race in Lake Louise, becoming the only alpine skier ever, male or female, to win all six currently contested alpine skiing disciplines: slalom, giant slalom, downhill, super-G, combined, and parallel slalom.

December 8, 2018: Second Super-G Win at 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: Slalom Win in Courchevel

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

2018: Record for World Cup wins in a calendar year

In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin became the first alpine skier to take 15 World Cup wins in a single calendar year, surpassing Marcel Hirscher's 14 wins. She also broke Marlies Schild's record for World Cup slalom wins.

2018: Competing in Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin competed in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where she won the gold medal in the giant slalom and a silver medal in the Combined. She placed 4th in the slalom.

2018: Featured in Outside's In Search of Speed

In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin was featured in Outside's In Search of Speed. Red Bull also produced the 48-minute documentary Peak Season: The Determination of Mikaela Shiffrin.

2018: Profiled on CBS News' 60 Minutes

In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin was profiled on CBS News' 60 Minutes.

2018: Winning slalom in Semmering

In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin won the last slalom of the season in Semmering, Austria, becoming the only athlete to have won 15 races in the same calendar year, surpassing Marcel Hirscher.

2018: First Downhill Win

In 2018, Shiffrin achieved her first downhill win at Lake Louise, marking her fourth-ever start in the discipline after reaching her first downhill podium (3rd place) the day before.

2018: 2018 Winter Olympics

In 2018, at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Mikaela Shiffrin won a gold medal in the giant slalom and a silver medal in the super combined. She finished fourth in the slalom. She pulled out of the super-G and downhill events due to weather-related scheduling conflicts and a belief that she would not perform well with too many races in consecutive days. Her performance made her the most decorated American Olympian and female alpine skier at the time.

2018: Tying Gold Medals at the Olympics

In 2018, by winning her second Olympic gold medal in the giant slalom, Shiffrin tied Ted Ligety and Andrea Mead Lawrence for the most Olympic gold medals ever won by an American Olympian in alpine skiing.

2018: Wins in 2018

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.

February 2019: Profiled in Deadspin and The Wall Street Journal

In February 2019, Amanda Ruggeri twice profiled Mikaela Shiffrin in Deadspin, and she was featured in The Wall Street Journal.

February 2019: Record of female skiers with most World Cup race wins

In February 2019, shortly before the 2019 Alpine World Ski Championships, 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 put her equal with Vreni Schneider on 55 wins before winning a slalom the following day to overtake the Swiss skier.

March 2019: Multiple World Cup Titles

In March 2019, Mikaela Shiffrin achieved several milestones. She became the first alpine skier to take 15 World Cup wins in a season and clinched the super-G crystal globe, her tenth World Cup title. She also secured the overall and slalom titles, becoming the first skier to win World Cups in both a technical and a speed event in the same season since Tina Maze. Additionally, she tied with Ingemar Stenmark for the most World Cup slalom race wins and later secured the GS crystal globe, becoming the first skier to win the overall, super-G, giant slalom, and slalom World Cup titles in a single season. She also won her 41st slalom race, making her the skier who has won the most World Cup slalom races.

March 2019: Discussing anxiety and social media on TV

In March 2019, Mikaela Shiffrin discussed handling anxiety on NBC's Today, addressed dealing with social media trolls on CNN, discussed pay equity on ABC's Good Morning America and the entertainment news show Access, and taught host Jimmy Fallon how to do the shuffle dance on NBC's Tonight Show. The New York Times profiled Shiffrin as "the face of American skiing", and she was featured in a Sports Illustrated profile and video.

April 2019: NBC Olympic Channel features Shiffrin's races

In April 2019, NBC's Olympic channel devoted 25 hours of prime-time to feature 20 of Mikaela Shiffrin's races in the 2018–2019 season; her fanclub also released a compilation of highlights from her 2018–2019 season.

2019: Breaking Vreni Schneider's record

In 2019, Mikaela Shiffrin won 17 World Cup races, breaking the record of 14 wins that Vreni Schneider had held for 30 years. She also won the gold medal in slalom at the 2019 World Championships, becoming the first alpine skier to win the world championship in the same discipline at four consecutive championships.

January 2020: Performances in the first half of the 2020 season

In January 2020, Mikaela Shiffrin experienced inconsistent performances in technical races but recorded 6 victories for the season, maintaining a considerable lead in the Overall Standings.

February 2, 2020: Death of her father

On February 2, 2020, Mikaela Shiffrin's father unexpectedly died in an accident, causing her to take an indefinite break from the World Cup tour and jeopardizing her chances of a fourth consecutive title.

2021: 2021 World Championship medals

In 2021, Shiffrin won the silver in the giant slalom at the World Championships after narrowly finishing in first after one run and won the bronze in the slalom.

2021: Relationship with Aleksander Aamodt Kilde

Since 2021, Mikaela Shiffrin has been in a relationship with Norwegian World Cup alpine ski racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

October 2022: Interview on Boomer Esiason's podcast

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

December 2022: Releasing documentary videos on YouTube channel

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

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Shiffrin had a Did Not Finish (DNF) in the giant slalom and slalom, finishing ninth in the super-G. She did not win a medal in the remaining individual events. She competed in the mixed team event, finishing fourth.

February 2023: Stenmark hails Shiffrin

On 27 February 2023, Stenmark hailed Shiffrin as much better than he was and that he could have never been so good in all disciplines.

March 2023: Most World Cup wins

In March 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin won her 87th World Cup race, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark for the most World Cup wins by any alpine skier.

July 2023: Interview on School of Greatness podcast

In July 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin did an hour-long interview on Lewis Howes' "School of Greatness" podcast, conveying the message to young athletes that self-confidence in results is not necessary, and that courage to try is more important.

2023: Recipient of Best Female Athlete ESPY Award

In 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin was the recipient of the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. ESPN posted her acceptance speech.

2023: Laureus World Sports Award Nomination

In 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin's performances earned her 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, at the FIS World Cup race in Killington, Vermont, Shiffrin sustained a puncture wound to her right abdomen following a crash in the giant slalom. She was cleared of major injuries.

January 30, 2025: Comeback Race at Courchevel

On January 30, 2025, in her comeback race after her injuries had healed, Shiffrin finished tenth in the slalom event at Courchevel.

February 11, 2025: Eighth Alpine World Championships Gold Medal

On February 11, 2025, Shiffrin won her eighth career Alpine world championships gold medal, bringing her total to 15 medals from 18 world championship races and marking her as the most successful skier in the modern era.

March 2025: Overtaking Ingemar Stenmark

As of March 2025, Mikaela Shiffrin has won 101 World Cup races, overtaking Ingemar Stenmark for the most World Cup wins by any alpine skier, including 64 slalom races and 22 giant slalom races.