'GOAT' - Mikaela Shiffrin lauded after landmark 86th World Cup victory sees her draw level with Ingemar Stenmark

Updated 10/03/2023 at 19:37 GMT

United States' skier Mikaela Shiffrin looks on course to set a record of World Cup wins before the season is out after she levelled Ingemar Stenmark's 86 victories with a win in the giant slalom at Are. The 27-year-old, who boasts wins across all Alpine disciplines: 52 slalom, 20 giant slalom, five super-G, five parallel, three downhill and one Alpine combined, has been lauded following the race.

‘GOAT!’ – Shiffrin lauded after landmark 86th World Cup victory

Mikaela Shiffrin equalled Ingemar Stenmark’s 86 World Cup wins on Friday, and the world of winter sports took to social media to praise her remarkable achievement.

Shiffrin took a giant slalom victory in Are as she beat out a pack including Federica Bringnone and Sara Hector to pull level with Stenmark. Shiffrin said it was the "greatest honour of my career to be mentioned in the same sentence as Ingemar Stenmark".

The victory in Are was Shiffrin's fourth straight win in World Cup giant slaloms since January and she also won gold in the event at last month's World Championships in Meribel, France.

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She also claimed the season-long World Cup giant slalom title – her 15th career crystal globe trophy – having already won her fifth overall and seventh slalom title this season.

FIS Alpine were one of the first to pay tribute to Shiffrin’s historic efforts, declaring: “A circle closes!”

Ilka Stuhec followed up calling her the greatest of all time.

The US Alpine Ski Team recognised greatness, and Team USA lauded her as a history-maker.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde - Shiffrin's partner and peer - also praised the 27-year-old.

And another women’s great, Lindsey Vonn, believes Shiffrin is at the top of her game.

The outright record now beckons for Shiffrin, with the world’s leading Alpine skiers returning for the slalom on Saturday. The first run is at 09:15 GMT, with Shiffrin hoping to shoot for history in the second run from 12:15 GMT.

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