March 8, 2010
Shiffrin wins international races
by PR Wire Report/
Mikaela Shiffrin, a 15-year-old Burke Mountain Academy student from Vail, Colo., won gold medals on back-to-back days at the 49th running of the Trofeo Topolino, the world's most prestigious children's ski race.
On Sunday Shiffrin won the giant slalom, while on Saturday she placed first in the slalom.
"This didn't come without a lot of hard work. I don't think it's really hit me yet," Shiffrin said in a U.S. Ski Team press release. "These past two days have been beautiful and perfect conditions. All of the hard work paid off and it came at the right time."
Topolino is an important international event for young ski racers ages 11-15, held annually in northern Italy. Past champions include recent Olympic medalists Lindsey Vonn and Andrew Weibrecht.
"People have told me that the U.S. athletes who have won at Topolino have also won an Olympic medal," Shiffrin said. "It's exciting for me to know that, but I also know that they've worked so hard since Topolino and it's going to be a bumpy road for me too."
Shiffrin, who is from Vail but trains at Burke Mountain Academy, became the first American to win a title since 2007 on Saturday, only to repeat her incredible win on Sunday in the giant slalom where she bested the field by a slim .11 seconds.
According Shiffrin, whose breakthrough came when she earned a medal in the Whistler Cup in the 2008 season, while winning was amazing, just the race itself was an award.
"The courses were great. They were rhythmical and you had to have good technique to be able to make it down with a clean run. It made you work hard and want it," Shiffrin said. "By the end of the day it was nice to win, but at the same time I went away thinking I really did the best I could do."
Shiffrin was followed on the podium by Adriana Jelinkova of the Netherlands in second, and Louise Jansson of Sweden in third.
In Saturday’s slalom, Shiffrin topped the international field by more than four seconds over two runs for a commanding win.
Sweden's Magdalena Fjaellstroem was second and Adriana Jelenikova from The Netherlands rounded out the podium.
