To Ingemar Stenmark, the give attention to Mikaela Shiffrin as she approaches his document of 86 World Cup snowboarding victories is irrelevant. The 66-year-old Swede believes the American is already on one other stage.
“She’s a lot better than I used to be. You can’t examine,” Stenmark informed the Related Press. “She has all the pieces. She has good bodily power, she has a superb approach, robust head. I believe it’s the mixture of all the pieces makes her so good. And I’m additionally impressed that she will be able to ski good each in slalom and in super-G and downhill additionally.
“I may by no means have been so good in all disciplines.”
All 86 of Stenmark’s wins within the Seventies and 80s got here within the technical disciplines of slalom (40) and large slalom (46). Shiffrin’s 85 wins have come predominantly in slalom (52) large slalom (19) or parallel (5), but in addition in super-G (5), downhill (three) and mixed (one). One in every of Shiffrin’s three medals on the world championships this month got here in super-G with a silver.
Stenmark is aware of the numbers properly, as a result of he enjoys following Shiffrin’s races.
“I watch most of them,” he stated. “To change into such a superb skier it’s a must to love snowboarding, and she or he has good contact with the snow, good feeling. She will be able to adapt to all type of completely different snow situations.”
After profitable three medals in her 4 races on the worlds, Shiffrin returns to motion this weekend in Kvitfjell, Norway, the place she plans to compete in a super-G, a downhill after which one other super-G on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Then Shiffrin has a large slalom and a slalom in Are, Sweden, from 10-11 March.
May Stenmark attend the races in Are if there’s nonetheless an opportunity for Shiffrin to match or break his document?
“No, I’m not going. I’m sorry for that. However I’ll, in fact, watch on TV,” Stenmark stated, explaining that he doesn’t wish to commit an excessive amount of consideration to Shiffrin when there are additionally elite Swedish skiers competing, like Olympic large slalom champion Sara Hector.
“That’s why it will be just a little bit unusual for me to go to Are to rejoice Shiffrin when now we have the Swedish ladies additionally. If it will have been one other place, it will be simpler.”
Whereas Stenmark hasn’t attended a race since Lindsey Vonn invited him to her profession finale in Are in 2019, he’s drawn to Shiffrin’s methodical method to snowboarding and – as somebody identified for his reserve – appreciates her introverted character.
“I don’t know her personally, however she appears to be a really [nice] particular person,” Stenmark stated.
Shiffrin reveals simply as a lot reverence for Stenmark as he does for her.
“I might say the title means greater than the quantity,” the 27-year-old Shiffrin stated of Stenmark. “He’s an absolute legend in snowboarding. And it doesn’t matter what I obtain, this sort of time period, ‘the best of all time’ or the numbers – all that for me, it’s one thing that’s debatable.
“The factor for me about sports activities is that it provides folks a purpose to be impressed by whoever they select to be impressed [by]. So no matter I do, it’s just a little little bit of a moot level. And that’s how I really feel about Ingemar. His title is in historical past as a legend of the game that folks will bear in mind for ever.”
Stenmark and Shiffrin competed in vastly completely different eras, with many extra races – and extra disciplines – obtainable to Shiffrin. There have additionally been large advances in snowboarding gear since Stenmark stopped racing.
“It’s all utterly completely different, however I preferred the best way it was once I was racing. The one factor I miss is the carving skis,” he stated, referring to the newer, hour-glass formed skis that make turning much less difficult. “I believe snowboarding these days is simpler than after we have been racing, however profitable is perhaps more durable now, as a result of there are such a lot of [top] skiers. If you happen to make one small mistake, it’s laborious to win.”
Whereas Shiffrin has had her justifiable share of errors – see her efficiency eventually 12 months’s Beijing Olympics when she didn’t end three of her 5 particular person races and didn’t win a medal regardless of huge expectations – she nonetheless wins a formidable 35% of her races.
“And I believe she will be able to win greater than 100,” Stenmark stated. “It depends upon what number of years she continues. However for positive 100.”
