Exclusive: Mikaela Shiffrin hopes skiing can be 'part of the solution' to climate change - and 'not part of the problem'
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Updated 15/02/2023 at 15:11 GMT
American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin was part of a group of skiers who sent an open letter to the FIS about their responsibility with regards to climate change. In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Eurosport expert Tina Maze, Shiffrin discusses that letter, what she thinks of coaches setting courses for athletes and the risk taking in giant slalom v slalom.
Exclusive: 'Part of the solution!' - Shiffrin on the part skiing can play in the environment
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Eurosport expert Tina Maze, American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin has called on the FIS to become part of the solution with climate change, not part of the problem.
Shiffrin, 27, has been vocal in her support for the environment and has spoken about it numerous times.
Earlier in the 2023 Alpine World Ski Championships, Shiffrin was one of a number of skiers who wrote a letter to FIS president Johan Eliasch.
The letter said: "The public opinion about skiing is shifting towards unjustifiability. That’s why we as a winter sports community have to take the lead in the fight against climate change and make our sport climate neutral as soon as possible.
"To do so we need progressive organisational action. This is our most important race, let’s win it together."
And sitting down with former Olympic and world champion Maze, who now works as an expert for Eurosport, Shiffrin said that there is concern within the skiing community and the athletes felt that they had to start the conversation.
"This letter has been started, not by me, but by some athletes within FIS who have some really powerful points for FIS to make more of an effort, just to advocate for the climate, to admit that there's a problem.
"Nobody knows the solution. And there's nobody out there who's perfectly advocating for the climate, unless you're living somewhere in the mountains off the vegetables you grow and getting electricity from water...
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'Part of the solution' - Shiffrin talks about skiing and the environment
“Everybody has some impact on the environment, but the whole system is destroying our planet. And that's what we have to talk about.
“And as athletes, we're scared to have the conversation because we're not the scientists and we don't have the facts, and I don't have all the facts about it. But this letter, this argument for FIS to try to put some measures in place that make us in our sport part of the solution, as opposed to actually being such a big part of the problem.”
Shiffrin added that the athletes were excited and highlighted the American suits for these championships, which are in partnership with Protect Our Winters (POW), a climate non-profit.
“It's really powerful and all of us athletes are excited about that and excited to see the response by FIS," she said.
"And as Americans we're really happy with the race suits we're wearing in partnership with POW. They look really great, of course, but it's just this concept that POW fights for is something we can all get on board with."
In a wide-ranging discussion Maze asked Shiffrin, as a fellow skier who competed in multiple disciplines, where she felt she was able to take the risks in giant slalom compared to regular slalom.
"I feel that it's more challenging to take the risk in GS because with just a little bit higher speed, and a little bit shorter time skiing this really high level of GS skiing, I'm always just a little bit unsure," she said.
"In GS sometimes you're moving with the quickness of slalom but also speed - and for me sometimes it's hard to make that timing work.
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'More challenging!' - Shiffrin on risk-taking in giant slalom v slalom
"Slalom is just a matter of moving as quick as I can. And as long as my muscles are there then I can take the risk."
Maze also discussed the pros and cons of athletes' coaches setting courses, with Shiffrin’s team set to lay the slalom course.
Shiffrin pointed out that in many ways it is actually trickier when your coach is setting the course. She said that as a multi-discipline athlete, sometimes it could end up with her being at a slight disadvantage.
-- Editor’s note – This interview was conducted before it was revealed that Shiffrin and coach Mike Day had split.
"With my coaches I always said I actually don't want to know when you're setting a course. Of course I know. But I don't want that kind of pressure," she said.
"But also, I feel like it's just bad karma, if a coach is setting for one athlete or against one athlete, I feel like it always goes the opposite. And it's gone the opposite for me many times. So I like it better if I just don't know. And if I'm skiing well, I should be able to handle 99% of what's going to happen and if I don't handle it, then that's something I have to work on.
"Sometimes I see it in inspection and I'm like, 'they tried to set this for me and I am not going to ski this very fast'. It’s like why? 'Why do you set that when I'm not actually good at it?'
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'I don't wanna know!' - Shiffrin says she doesn't like her coaches setting courses
"It's really interesting for me to get in their mind. Because they're thinking 'what can I do that just helps Mikaela?', they feel finally that they have some control over how the race could go.
"Because normally they're standing on the side and they have no chance to control it. And so now they have can control it maybe just a little bit.
"I don't think my coaches ever really set tricks, but sometimes they will set it maybe a bit tighter because they're thinking I can move quicker.
"But I always argue I don't practice slalom as much as the women who are specialising in slalom, who are training these really tight courses. So if you set this tightness, and I just came from GS or from super-G I actually don't know if I can move that quick. So just give a little more space!"
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