After long break from World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin grateful just to be ski racing again

Set for a return to ski racing after 300 days away, Mikaela Shiffrin is searching for the reply to a query she has been asking herself since March.

How will it really feel to compete once more?

“Hopefully it’s a constructive expertise. And I don’t imply, ‘Hopefully I win,’ however hopefully it’s a constructive expertise to be a ski racer, nonetheless, and hopefully that would be the driving power,” Shiffrin mentioned Thursday, two days earlier than the longest break in her decade-long World Cup profession is predicted to finish at a slalom in Levi, Finland.

“It didn’t actually really feel it was that lengthy of a break,” she mentioned. “This spring, summer time, fall, this era since I final raced has been the busiest, most irritating time of my life. … I really feel like racing is definitely going to be like occurring a trip. Proper now, I’m simply so grateful to be right here.”

The 2-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time general World Cup champion is approaching her first race since Jan. 26, when she picked up her 66th profession win at a super-G in Bulgaria.

Her father, Jeff Shiffrin, abruptly died per week later following an accident on the household’s residence in Eagle County.

A heartbroken Shiffrin took a five-week break earlier than making an attempt a comeback at mid-March races in Sweden, having misplaced her lead within the general rankings to Federica Brignone and within the slalom standings to Petra Vlhova. Nevertheless, the occasion in Sweden was canceled, as was the rest of the season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“In February, after a number of weeks at residence, I felt like snowboarding could be therapeutic,” Shiffrin mentioned. “If doable, I wished to attempt to race earlier than the tip of the season. However we acquired to Sweden and we tried, and I used to be like able to step into the beginning gate. Even when it was canceled, that was a extremely huge step.”

Whereas the pandemic restricted coaching alternatives, a lot of her time over the summer time went to taking programs on finance, taxes and bookkeeping as a way to maintain the household enterprise working, a process beforehand dealt with by her father.

In October, a second try at a comeback additionally failed, as Shiffrin tweaked her again per week earlier than the season-opening big slalom in Austria.

“I haven’t acquired an entire lot of coaching in,” she mentioned. “I’ve solely been capable of prepare slalom with the again harm. We narrowed the main focus down and did one hour at a time.”

Having been the dominant power on the ladies’s World Cup over the previous couple of years, expectations will naturally be excessive when Shiffrin returns to the beginning gate. The American herself doesn’t actually now what to anticipate, although.

“I attempt to maintain expectations actually low,” she mentioned. “However my requirements for the extent of snowboarding that I wish to deliver are excessive. I wish to ski nicely, which incorporates snowboarding quick.”

Whereas she has racked up 43 profession wins in slalom, greater than any male or feminine skier within the historical past of the game, information have by no means been her focus.

“It doesn’t matter what, if I ski nicely, if I put in a great effort but it surely doesn’t go as I hoped, it’s arduous to be upset with that after the whole lot,” Shiffrin mentioned about her method to Saturday’s race.

Shiffrin held an enormous lead in each the slalom and general World Cup standings final season earlier than her break, however she insisted that shedding out on these titles didn’t make her indignant.

So, Saturday’s return “isn’t about settling scores.”

“I’m extremely indignant, however not about the best way final season ended. I’m indignant that my dad died, I’m indignant how lonely I really feel most days,” she mentioned. “However on the flip facet, I’m extremely grateful that I’ve my mother right here with me so typically. I’ve by no means been an individual to be motivated by anger. … If I discovered one thing over the past 300 days, it’s that you simply actually should take what life serves you. It won’t style good, however it’s a must to eat it anyway.”