After 14 years and 278 World Cup starts, Mikaela Shiffrin became the first alpine ski racer in history to achieve 100 World Cup wins — an extraordinary and unprecedented milestone. This feat of athletic excellence occurred during a World Cup slalom race in Sestriere, Italy, on Feb. 23.

Shiffrin’s path to World Cup win number 100 was unconventional and unexpected. Back in November, with 99 wins under her belt, Shiffrin crashed in the Giant Slalom race in Killington, Vermont in front of her home crowd. The pressure was on to achieve this landmark on home snow. While initially deemed a minor crash, it quickly became clear otherwise as she remained on the snow, visibly in immense pain. It was later revealed that she had suffered a puncture wound to her abdomen, likely caused by her ski pole during the crash. This scary and traumatic injury led to Shiffrin having to remove herself from the circuit to recover physically and mentally — all of this while on the brink of winning number 100.

Shiffrin’s traumatic injury forced her to take two months off from the World Cup circuit during the height of the season. While the rest of her competitors continued to train and race, earning World Cup points, Shiffrin spent the time recovering and preparing herself psychologically and physically to make the long-awaited return to the World Cup. She shared her journey openly and vulnerably on her social media pages. In January, Shiffrin revealed to the world that she would return to the circuit at the slalom race in Courchevel, France. With this news, many expected her to return with full force and be the dominant skier she always has been. However, on the contrary, when she made her return, she did fine, skiing into 10th place. Her performance at the World Cup Championship in Austria, was respectable but not dominant. Her results were mediocre and nothing like the superior Shiffrin the ski racing world has come to know and love over the years.

Many don’t realize that the fight and the struggle back into ski racing after a setback or injury is ruthless. Performing at that level requires so much from the athlete, and it is always strenuous to be put in those high-pressure circumstances. With this in mind, fans started to believe it might take Shiffrin a while to reach the highly coveted 100 wins, but she had other plans. The day before winning number 100, Shiffrin had one of her worst results in recent years; she hadn’t even managed to qualify for a second run, which has rarely been a challenge for her. Coming off that disappointing day, it was clear she was hungry to prove herself again on the World Cup stage, and she did just that.

Now, let’s break down race day and every decision that allowed Shiffrin to leave her mark on ski racing history yet again. For the slalom in Sestriere, she drew bib four, which is an advantageous place to run, as you have time to analyze how others skied the course, but the ruts and bumps have not formed yet. She had a very clean and quick first run skiing into first place, leading over Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutić by 0.09 seconds. This was the best possible outcome from the first run, setting herself up for success in the challenges of the second run. Being the leader after the first run meant Shiffrin would go last for the second run in an attempt to level the playing field. This meant she had to deal with course deterioration, any changes in conditions, and the mounting pressure from the crowd and coaches. Shiffrin’s experience in these high-pressure situations really showed through as she kept a cool head and performed with her usual impeccable skill and athleticism, skiing her way into World Cup history. She skied into first place, finishing an impressive 0.61 seconds above Ljutić.

From the moment Shiffrin’s skis crossed the finish line, the emotion of this moment swept over the crowd, fellow athletes, everyone watching from home, and, of course, Shiffrin herself. This terrific moment only got better for Shiffrin and the United States Ski Team because Shiffrin got to share the podium on this historic day with her teammate Paula Moltzan, who has been with her for the past several years.

The immediate aftermath of this milestone was praise for Shiffrin from every corner of sports, from fellow teammates to the greatest athletes of our time to the biggest brands and sponsors. Win number 100 also triggered the MIK100 campaign, a partnership between Shiffrin and Share Winter Foundation, that aims to raise $100,000 for youth incentives in ski and snowboard programs. After Mikaela’s success, this was a good opportunity to bring light to inclusivity in ski racing. Shiffrin has dedicated much time to inspiring aspiring athletes, especially young girls, to chase their dreams.

This was one of many occasions in Shiffrin’s career at the World Cup where she broke a record and wrote herself into ski racing history. Back in January of 2023, Shiffrin surpassed Lindsey Vonn, another American phenom ski racer, as the winningest female ski racer in history. Later that season, Shiffrin surpassed a record that had stood for 34 years. She passed Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden’s record of 86 World Cup wins with win number 87. Shiffrin has been the backbone of the U.S.’ ski team and helped it become the power it is today. Over 14 years on the World Cup circuit, Shiffrin has continually showcased her skill, athleticism and determination, solidifying her place as the greatest ski racer in history. Reaching 100 World Cup wins is just another milestone in her extraordinary career.