"The train don't stop" - Mikaela Shiffrin congratulates teammate Lauren Macuga on maiden World Cup top-5 finish

Mikaela Shiffrin, who is regarded as one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time, recently applauded teammate Lauren Macuga on her first top-five finish in the World Cup.

On Sunday, March 3, Macuga secured her first-ever fifth-place finish in the women's Super G race in Kvitfjell, Norway. She narrowly missed out on a medal by a 0.11-second margin. The event saw Federica Brignone of Italy bagging her 25th World Cup win.

Despite the bad weather and heavy fog which delayed the race on Sunday, Macuga went on to improve her seventh place achieved on Saturday. It was also her first time starting among the top 20 girls in her career.

With this, she not only accomplished a new personal best (PB) for the fifth time during this 2023-24 season but also confirmed her participation in the super-G World Cup Finals in Saalbach.

Following this, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team posted about Macuga's incredible feat on its X handle, stating:

“The train just keeps on rolling for @lauren_macuga 🚂 💨”

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin reacted to the post and congratulated Macuga by retweeting it and adding:

“The train don’t stop!!! Goooo Cougs! 🤩”

After finishing an overall fifth, Macuga, 21, was elated with her performance, In an interview (via U.S. Ski & Snowboard) she stated that this was beyond her expectations, adding:

“When I started this season, my goals were to earn a top 20 in downhill, and a top 30 in super-G. Never did I imagine that I would sitting in the hot seat for as long as I did, let alone in the top five.”

Mikaela Shiffrin receives nomination for Laureus Sports Awards 2024

Mikaela Shiffrin of Team United States takes 1st place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill on March 16, 2022, in Courchevel, France. (Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)

Mikaela Shiffrin has been nominated for the Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus Sports Awards 2024. In 2023, she scripted history to become the alpine skier with the most wins (87) in the World Cup, bettering Ingemar Stenmark's 34-year-old feat of 86 victories.

She concluded the calendar year with six more victories as she bagged the 93rd World Cup win of her career, winning the slalom race by finishing 2.34 seconds ahead of German competitor Lena Duerr on the slopes of Lienz on Dec. 29, 2023.

For the Laureus Award 2024, the other female athletes who have received nominations are tennis star Iga Swiatek, footballer Aitana Bonmatí, and track athletes Shericka Jackson, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Faith Kipyegon.

The winner for this category will be declared on April 22, 2024, in Spain’s capital city during the Laureus Award Ceremony.