Is Mikaela Shiffrin racing in Soelden, Austria? Everything about American's plans for 2024/25 Alpine Ski World Cup season

Mikaela Shiffrin is all set to chase a record-tying sixth overall title in the 2024/25 Alpine Ski World Cup season which kicks off on October 26th in Soelden, Austria. The American skier holds the record for most wins in the World Cup, both among male and female athletes, and is only a few wins away from a century of victories.

Shiffrin will be seen in action during the first stop of the World Cup in Soelden, Austria. She will compete in the two Giant Slalom races, both scheduled on Saturday, October 26th and can be streamed on Peacock. The 27-year-old missed out on the Giant Slalom last season and will be looking to recapture that from Lara Gut-Behrami, who also won the overall and downhill titles.

Alongside the Swiss star, Shiffrin will face a tough challenge from Sara Hector and Federica Brignone, both of whom have previously beaten the American. The two-time Olympic champion will also face some competition from her American teammates Keely Cashman, Paula Moltzan, and Nina O'Brien.

Shiffrin was on course for her sixth overall title last year before a crash in January forced her to skip more than 10 races which eventually cost her the Crystal Globe. However, she is back to her best and looking forward to bringing up a century of wins in the World Cup circuit.

“I’m energized right now by people bringing up 100. I think it’s incredible that people are still following along on this journey and are excited about it. I would say that’s an incredible positive," she said (via USA Today).

The 29-year-old currently holds 97 wins, 11 more than second-placed Ingemar Stenmark. With over 10 races scheduled in 2024, Shiffrin is likely to reach the 100 mark this year.

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Mikaela Shiffrin unsure of competing in downhill in 2024/25 season

Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals - Mikaela Shiffrin in action (Source: Getty)

Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a devastating crash last season during a downhill race in Cortina, Italy, and it's unlikely that she is going to compete in the event this season.

"We kind of had to reevaluate after Cortina and say, what are we doing here that is potentially setting me up for a little bit of failure? And one of those things is really trying to juggle every event. At some point, we end up sacrificing quality,” she said during the press conference ahead of her season opener in Austria. (via Vaildaily.com)

However, the three-time Olympic medalist also clarified that downhill wasn't entirely out of her future.

“It’s also not to say that downhill is entirely out of my future. It’s just kind of a shift for this season about where I want to focus and see where that goes," Mikaela Shiffrin stated.

While Downhill is generally considered Shiffrin's weaker event followed by Super G, the 29-year-old is the most dominant in Slalom and Giant Slalom events.