Shock for Mikaela Shiffrin, the great star of the Alpine Ski World Championships that are being held these days in the French resorts of Courchevel and Méribel (France). The American has split drastically with the one who has been her coach for years, Mike Day, who did not take well to the skier’s plans to give her team a facelift at the end of this season and decided to leave abruptly. concentration of the North American team on French soil.
“Mikaela wants to do something different, she wants a new challenge. She reported it to Mike and he decided to go home on Tuesday. It has been a shock,” said the director of the American team, Patrick Riml, on Wednesday.. “After seven seasons working with Riml, I have decided to take a step in another direction with a new leadership for the next phase of my career,” said Shiffrin, who will take part in the giant slalom this Thursday and the slalom on Saturday, tests at the which part as a favourite. “I want to thank Mike for his work and dedication during these seven seasons,” added the Colorado player, whose team still has two important figures in his mother, Eileen, who has accompanied him throughout his professional life, and his assistant coach. , Mark Miter.
“We have all the necessary people to support Mikaela and give her all the information she needs to do her job… She has a lot of support and we will make a decision about what is best for the future soon,” says Riml. The truth is that the divorce comes at a bad time because of the importance this season has for Shiffrin’s legacy, which has already accumulated 85 victories in the world Cup and he is two away from surpassing the record of the Swede Ingemar Stenmark, who achieved 86.
In addition, the American was already the target of an ecological protest due to an alleged interest in making the journey between its Gap base and the Orcieres training track where it prepares by helicopter., something that Mark Mitter categorically denied, assuring that they had been offered the possibility, but had been rejected. We will see how these events affect Shiffrin’s performance in two tests in which he is supposed to shine.