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Alpine Superstar Mikaela Shiffrin Ready for a "Summer of Preparation"

After landing her 101st World Cup win in the World Cup Finals, Shiffrin opened up about her mental health and upcoming plans.

Maria Aldrich

Mar 27, 2025; Sun Valley, ID, USA; Race winner Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States celebrates on the podium after winning the slalom alpine skiing race in the 2025 FIS Ski World Cup at Sun Valley. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
Mar 27, 2025; Sun Valley, ID, USA; Race winner Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States celebrates on the podium after winning the slalom alpine skiing race in the 2025 FIS Ski World Cup at Sun Valley. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images / Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals – 2025 Stifel Sun Valley Finals

The Audi FIS World Cup Ski Finals ended last week in iconic Sun Valley, Idaho. The first destination ski resort hosted the world's best alpine ski racers for the 2025 Stifel Sun Valley Finals. The finals took place outside Europe for the first time in seven years. Thousands of fans worldwide descended upon Sun Valley to take in the elite racing and the festival-like atmosphere presented during the week-long competitions. Among the elite athletes, none shined brighter than America's Mikaela Shiffrin - who owns the record for most World Cup ski wins, now at 101.

A photo of American skier Mikaela Shifrin
Mar 27, 2025; Sun Valley, ID, USA; Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States celebrates after winning the slalom alpine skiing race in the 2025 FIS Ski World Cup at Sun Valley. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images / Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Mikaela Shiffrin's Comeback

Shiffrin came to these finals on a comeback and a mission. Her World Cup was derailed last November at the Killington Cup in Vermont when she suffered a brutal fall and injury, which resulted in a gruesome puncture wound on the right side of her abdomen. The accident scarred Shiffrin physically and mentally and forced her off the slopes for months to recover.

Shiffrin attacked her rehabilitation and returned to World Cup competition in Sestriere, Italy, in February, where she won her 100th World Cup win. Just over one month later, she arrived in Sun Valley for the World Cup Finals, having qualified for the slalom. She placed 6th in the season-long points standings in the discipline, which put her in the top-25 qualifiers. Shiffrin rose to the occasion in Sun Valley on American soil to take the gold medal in the slalom event.

She dominated the race under sunny skies with a combined two-run time of 1:45:92. Germany's Lena Duerr secured the silver medal in 1:47.05, and Slovenia's Andreja Slokar rounded out the podium in 1:47.06 for the bronze medal. With the dazzling effort, Shiffrin earned her 101st World Cup victory to extend her amazing record after her stellar performance at the Sun Valley World Cup finals.

Shiffrin Moves Forward

Shiffrin, never one to surrender to a challenge, recently announced that she's been suffering post-traumatic stress disorder following her devasting injuries. In addition to prevailing on the race course, she has taken the necessary steps to improve her well-being.

In a recent interview with TODAY, Shiffrin stated, "My experience this year was fairly unique. It was not something I entirely knew how to navigate — this kind of mental, mind-body disconnect after injury... [I'm] still working through it but I'm looking forward to a summer of preparation to get the exposure and to keep training — that seems to be the best way to work through it."

Despite a challenging and victorious season, Shiffrin has been transparent as she navigates her road to recovery — an inspiration to her fans, teammates, and competitors. Mikaela now enters the off-season healthy and well-equipped to address her mental healing and physical conditioning program. Undoubtedly, she will remain a force in the upcoming 2025-26 World Cup season and the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy (February 6-22, 2026).

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Maria Aldrich
MARIA ALDRICH

Maria Aldrich graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Wilderness Education. While earning her degrees, she learned the fundamentals of climbing, wilderness travel, and leadership in the backcountry. These skills built upon Maria's lifelong passion for the outdoors. Following graduation, she began working in the outdoor recreation field, serving individuals with disabilities to help them access outdoor pursuits including hiking, paddling, horseback riding, and snowshoeing. The following year, Maria moved to the Adirondack Mountains in New York State to continue working towards a life of adventure and writing. She has continued rock and ice climbing, hiking in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, and paddling through various rivers while documenting her experiences through writing. When Maria isn’t adventuring in the mountains, she can be found reading a book, fishing on a shoreline, or spending time with family.

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