Europe 1 with AFP 6:45 p.m., March 10, 2023

American Mikaela Shiffrin, winner of the Géant d'Are in Sweden, equaled Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark's record of 86 victories on Friday, a new milestone without her destiny as the best skier of all time.

It confirms an exceptional state of form.

Strong symbol, it is above the frozen lake of Are in Sweden, in the country of Stenmark, that Mikaela Shiffrin equaled one of the most emblematic records of alpine skiing, which stood for more than 34 years, long before His birth.

The American won her 86th World Cup victory after beating the Giant of Are, Sweden.

A real coup, the American reached this mark still very young, when she was to celebrate her 28th birthday on Monday.

“Four years ago, I told myself that she would be the first to win 100 races, and even more, if she remains in good health,” Stenmark himself warned on Thursday.

Shiffrin can indeed dream of such heights thanks to her thirst for success for more than ten years and her versatility, she who has already won in the six disciplines of alpine skiing (slalom, giant, super-G, downhill, combined, parallel) .

The Colorado skier is also a seven-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion.

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"Spectacular"

On Friday, she first crushed the first heat, helped by good light during her passage, before securing on the second track to dominate the Italian Federica Brignone (64/100) and the Swedish Olympic champion Sara Hector (at 92/100).

Intractable, she chained a twelfth victory this season in 27 starts on the circuit, in addition to the three medals brought back from the World Championships in Méribel in February (gold of the giant, silver of the super-G and slalom).

She thus ensured to win the small giant globe before the finals next week in Soldeu (Andorra), where she will also lift the small slalom globe and her fifth big crystal globe (after 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022).

"What a spectacular day. I knew the Giant's Globe was won before I went into the second run, it's something I fought for. I was also lucky with the weather and the light in first run. It's incredible," Shiffrin reacted to the microphone of the International Ski Federation, which did not revive her on her 86th victory.

From Saturday, Shiffrin has the opportunity to overtake Stenmark, who did not travel to Are, with a slalom and a potential 87th success.