The 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm came to an end on Feb. 16. Over 70 nations were well-represented with approximately 250 women and 380 menparticipating. Among the group was a myriad of celebrated skiers, including Camille Rast, Breezy Johnson and famed skier, Mikaela Shiffrin.
Now that the events have wrapped up, many athletes have been reflecting on the competition, Shiffrin being one of them. The holder of the most World Cup wins in histroy, Shriffin enjoyed typical success at these championships.
After sustaining an injury during the slalom in Killington, VT in November, Shiffrin was forced to spend time recovering, and was faced with uncertainty regarding her return to competition. However, as witnessed from Shiffrin in the past, she isn’t one to back down from a challenge. After working through recovery and building up her confidence, she was able to make a comeback at the World Championships.
For the Women’s Team Combined, Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson clinched gold with a final score of 2:40:89. In the slalom, she placed fifth — an impressive feat considering her grisly injury just a few months prior.
“Something I’ve learned about how expectations work in a situation like this is that no matter the story of how we got here, there is still always the anticipation of victory. While it is a privilege to be in that position, this time I’m still recovering while we are racing,” Shiffrin wrote on social media. “My team and I came into this World Champs with a ‘step by step’ mentality, rather than the ‘go for gold’ mentality. That’s a very unique position to be in — unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It’s pretty cool to still be experiencing new things, this far into my career.”