Mikaela Shiffrin

[Rudi Riet]

And MS doesn't miss a beat in plugging her sponsors on her social media channels already.

When the content is skewed toward specific brands then... well, the tail is wagging the dog.

It's like GCN's videos where, for example, they're asked about how a GPS route gets re-routed if you get off course and they say "while we can't speak for other brands, Wahoo does..." And I somehow doubt any athlete/celeb who is very much on-brand would even mention the existence of competing brands.

The money certainly talks, sadly.

 

[S.H.]

Eh, there's nothing wrong with her having a bigger social media presence, IMO. Youtube gives her the opportunity to do longer-form content. I'd watch it. She has a huge team of people around her all the time anyway. This is just having one of them carry a camera/point a phone a bit more, and then sifting through it.

She can't be expected to "focus on the skiing" 24/7/365. It's okay to have other interests. It's okay to make money from them.

When somebody can make a viable case that it's getting in the way of her training, maybe. I don't think there's much risk of that.

 

[Teppaz]

She'll have plenty of time to YouTube etc. when she decides to retire. So many athletes seem to lose their way when they become slaves to either advertising, social media, or other outside factors.

Totally agree. I think it played a role in Naomi Osaka's issues.

 

[4ster]

At least they are happily skiing in Levi…

 

[Uncle-A]

At least they are happily skiing in Levi…

So true, do the things that make you happy. Life is too short.

 

[James]

At least they are happily skiing in Levi…

Doesn’t look like much snow.

 

[Tricia]

At least they are happily skiing in Levi…

I love that so much.

 

[JCF]

What a difference a year makes....and a great lesson

 

[DocGKR]

Starting the year with back to back wins in Levi--up to 76 now and looking strong and confident!

 

[4ster]

Starting the year with back to back wins in Levi--up to 76 now and looking strong and confident!

Yes, great to see her head in a seemingly good place & obviously some competitive fire in her skiing this weekend!

 

[4ster]

I would have never imagined Mikaela not being on this podium.

5 or 6 yrs ago she had literally no competition, now there are a number of women pushing her.
She is getting older, not old but she has been on top for 10 years!
Even though she speaks of loving this Killington event, the whole show (at least in the US) is made to be all about her. No matter how well she tries to shut it out, the pressure must be overwhelming (look at what happened at the Olympics).
Finally, I think if it had remained cold she likely would’ve won but the course conditions just didn’t allow her to find her rhythm, timing & line. Not that she doesn’t have the chops to handle those condition, she just got out of the start on the wrong foot so to speak. Look at her race in Levi, she had the fastest time in the second run! No one was going to do that at Killington on Sunday, not even Shiffrin.

Not claiming to know exactly why, I just know that when the temperature gets like that it is a different course for the late runners & even though she had a decent margin to play with, it wasn’t the huge one she would’ve needed.
She is still the best skier, and she will win more races this year going forward & probably not just in SL. If she doesn’t, then I will be surprised!
I am actually more surprised she is not going to Lake Louise.

 

[S.H.]

I am actually more surprised she is not going to Lake Louise.

Same!

 

[Swede]

Yeah I saw that @Rudi Riet heard she was not going, a bit surprising considering her track record in LL.

 

[James]

Maybe she’s just staving off burn out.
Pretty busy schedule coming up.

This last is GS, SL

Then World Championships Feb 6-19.
Well women end with slalom Feb 18th.
It opens with Women’s Combined Feb 6th.

 

[Blue Streak]

Perhaps she is just planning on enjoying being at home during the Birds of Prey and supporting her beau.
There are worse ways to spend a week.

 

[S.H.]

Perhaps she is just planning on enjoying being at home during the Birds of Prey and supporting her beau.
There are worse ways to spend a week.

She'll be in Europe

 

[Rudi Riet]

She'll be in Europe

Agreed: she wants some mileage on her GS skis and traveling to Beaver Creek won't give her that ability.

Her relationship with Aleks is fine. They'll spend Christmas together, in all likelihood. Right now her job is to do well in ski races so she'll concentrate on that.

 

[James]

Agreed: she wants some mileage on her GS skis and traveling to Beaver Creek won't give her that ability.

Her relationship with Aleks is fine. They'll spend Christmas together, in all likelihood. Right now her job is to do well in ski races so she'll concentrate on that.

Do you think she’ll do speed in St Anton or Cortina in January?

 

[Rudi Riet]

I think that Cortina is more likely than St. Anton, given her history, but it all depends on how her training cycle goes this coming week.

She really seems to be slowing down her roll a bit to cherry pick the races in which she will excel. She really has nothing left to prove, to be honest.

 

[Parnellia]

So if I were her and Elaine I'd want to go to:

Sestriere SL SG Dec 10-11
Flachau SL Jan 10
Kronplatz GS Jan 24
Crans Montana DH SG Feb 25-26
Kvitfjell DH SG March 4-5
Are GS SL March 10-11
Andorra all events March 15-19

Keep her rested up and training
Win SL at Worlds
Win 4 WCs
Sleep a lot

If she does that level for three years then she gets the all time wins number, stays healthy and happy