86. In alpine skiing, it’s legendary. That of the number of victories of Ingemar Stenmark. Since 1989, the Swedish legend had been on top of the world with this record of success in the World Cup which seemed unbeatable. The immense Scandinavian had taken fifteen years to afford this moment of glory. Since this Friday, he is no longer alone on his throne. He was joined this Friday, March 10 by the American Mikaela Shiffrin, who took only eleven years to reach this Olympus. Double wink of fate. It was in Are, in… Sweden, that Shiffrin won a giant for history this Friday. And it is on the track where she opened her record.
Stenmark: “The first to win 100 races”
After having largely dominated the first round of the Swedish giant, the American had taken a big step towards an 86th success. The world champion in the specialty was ahead of the Canadian Valérie Grenier by 58 hundredths and the Austrian Franziska Gritsch by 93 hundredths. All its other competitors being pushed back more than a second. Mikaela Shiffrin, who turns 28 on March 13, reached step 86 of her crazy advance on the world circuit thanks to a victory in the second round. She is ahead of the Italian Brignone (+ 0′’64) and the Swedish Hector (+ 0′’92).
Alpine skiing icon Ingemar Stenmark, 67 years old today, had congratulated the American champion even before she broke the record. “I’m happy for her. It’s really deserved. She’s an excellent skier, with fantastic technique. She is very gifted. She seems to be very friendly, too. So I’m glad it’s her. Four years ago, I thought to myself that she would be the first to win 100 races, and even more, if she stays in good health. »