“I actually am very lucky. I could have had a lot more damage than I did,” reflected Mikaela Shiffrin, the alpine skier with the most World Cup wins in history. Last season took a dramatic turn when she crashed during the women’s downhill event in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. While racing, she lost control while landing a jump in a soft patch of snow, flying into the protective nets and leaving the crowd in shock.

Medics quickly attended to her as she limped off the course, her left boot raised to signal her injury. Following protocol, she was airlifted down the mountain for further evaluation and then taken by ambulance to the hospital. After a few months of rehab, she triumphantly returned in March, winning her last two slalom races and finishing the season with nine victories—the highest for any woman. Now, as she prepares for the upcoming FIS Skiing World Cup season, she’s got some news to share.

In a candid chat with NBC Sports, Mikaela Shiffrin opened up about the training challenges she faced, sharing some solid advice from her team from last season. “When I was talking with my team last year, they were like, look, we are trying,” she remembered, “but it’s sort of physically impossible for you to get the preparation to be in winning shape in every event.”

With weather patterns throwing a wrench into their plans, she pointed out how tricky it’s become to create effective training schedules. “You normally aren’t training at the same places for tech (GS and slalom) as you are for speed (downhill and super-G), so you’re sacrificing something always,” she explained, giving us a glimpse into the tough balancing act that athletes have to manage.

This realization led Shiffrin and her crew to cook up a new strategy: “That’s when we came up with this idea of trying to target super-G.” Understanding that downhill events require a ton of time—“One race takes three to four days with training runs”—they decided to streamline her focus. This shift lets her focus her energy better, zeroing in on the super-G events that bring excitement while still giving her a solid chance at winning. But what if Mikaela Shiffrin, with her historical record hanging in the balance, triumphs at the FIS Ski World Cup?

Mikaela Shiffrin nears historic win

This season at the FIS Ski World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin is on the verge of a historic milestone, eyeing her 100th career World Cup victory. Just two seasons ago, she broke Ingemar Stenmark’s long-standing record of 86 wins, and now she’s just three victories away from becoming the second athlete in any Winter Olympic sport to reach this remarkable achievement, following Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen’s 114 wins.

The excitement peaked on March 16, when Mikaela celebrated her 97th career victory in the final slalom race of the 2023-24 season, earning her eighth slalom Crystal Globe. After a six-week hiatus because of an injury in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in January, Shiffrin returned triumphantly, showcasing her skills with a victory at Are, Sweden, marking her 96th win. She followed it up with another slalom win at the World Cup Finals in Saalbach, Austria, closing the season spectacularly.

Reflecting on her 97th victory, she said, “It’s a lot of work for the whole team,” emphasizing the importance of support. “You have to rely on the people around you,” she added, highlighting her team’s crucial role in her comeback. And now with just three wins to go, the excitement builds as she aims for that legendary 100-win mark!