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Mikaela Shiffrin expressed her thoughts as Breezy Johnson's three-year wait for a World Cup podium ended on Friday (Feb. 28). The pair earlier won the women's combined title together at the World Championships in Saalbach.
Johnson was competing in her first downhill World Cup race since winning the world title earlier this month in Saalbach. She finished third behind winner Cornelia Huetter and runner-up Emma Aicher, marking her first podium finish since 2021.
Shiffrin, who has been racing with and against Johnson since 11 years of age, was delighted over the victory and reacted:
"🫂🫂."
Johnson secured seven World Cup podium finishes during the 2020 and 2021 seasons before tearing a cartilage in her right knee in a training crash that saw her miss the Winter Olympics. The 29-year-old then missed three doping whereabouts and was awarded a 14-month suspension.
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Johnson returned to the slopes at the start of this season and has been in stellar form since the start of the new year. She won her maiden medal, a gold, at the World Championships before winning the first-ever women's combined event with Shiffrin, who termed it one of her most memorable medals.
"Looking forward to this many years to where we both come, everything you overcomed to get here and a lot of this past year and a half, you had to do a lot of it on your own, and that's been unbelievable to watch from afar and now to watch up close. So grateful to be your teammate today, and thank you for a memory that tops the list of any medal I have ever won," Mikaela Shiffrin said.
Shiffrin competed in her first race after the World Championships last week in Sestriere. She placed 25th in the giant slalom and won the slalom, securing the iconic 100th World Cup victory.
Mikaela Shiffrin faced "mind-body disconnect" before winning the 100th World Cup race
Mikaela Shiffrin was initially on track to win her 100th World Cup race in Killington last November. However, she suffered a scary crash, which resulted in a puncture wound in her abdomen that required months of recovery.
The 29-year-old returned in February but was a shadow of her best form, barring an inspired performance in the combined event. She didn't compete in the giant slalom at the World Championships due to PTSD fears, and when she did ski the two giant slaloms in Sestriere, she felt a disconnect between her mind and body.
"There is this kind of mind-body disconnect. I'm telling myself to do certain technical moves and it's just not happening. My body's screaming at me, it's like a fight or flight: ‘No, don’t do it, it's risky, it's dangerous'," Mikaela Shiffrin told CNN.
Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Shiffrin was so emotional after securing the 100th World Cup win. She fell to the snow after crossing the finish and couldn't hold off her tears during the post-race interview.
