Mikaela Shiffrin ranked ahead of Thierry Henry, Steve Nash, and more in ESPN's 100 best athletes of 21st Century

Mikaela Shiffrin has been named among the 100 best athletes of the 21st century by ESPN. She features in the 44th spot on the list, ahead of heavyweights such as soccer star Thierry Henry and basketball legend Steve Nash.

Shiffrin is a three-time Olympic medalist (two gold medals) and has 59 World Cup slalom victories to her name, which is the most in a single discipline. Her achievements are endless.

She was the youngest slalom gold medalist in Olympic history and has earned five overall World Cup Crystal Globes and eight Slalom World Cup titles. She is the first American (men and women) ski racer to win a race in each of the World Cup’s six disciplines and holds the FIS World Cup record for the most wins (17) in a season (2019).

On the genius of Shiffrin, ESPN said:

"What's most remarkable about Shiffrin's feat is that she won 24 races and two of her five World Cup overall titles after skiing the most disappointing races of her career at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and having people question whether her best years were behind her."

The 29-year-old's 97 wins on the World Cup circuit sees her well ahead of Ingemar Stenmark's once-long-standing record of 86. The next closest active alpine skier is Marcel Hirscher with 67 wins.

Shiffrin also won the 2024 ESPY for "Best Athlete – Women’s Sports" and was named in TIME's 100 Most Influential People in 2023.

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Mikaela Shiffrin engaged to fellow alpine skiing star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Mikaela Shiffrin have been together for more than three years. [PC: Isntagram]

Mikaela Shiffrin spent a big part of the season sidelined due to an MCL knee damage. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde saw his season end in January after a crash left him unsure if he would ever race again. He tore ligaments, dislocated his shoulder and also suffered a nasty gash in his calf.

Despite the struggles in their professional careers, 2024 holds special significance in both stars' lives as they announced their engagement earlier this year. The two have been together for more than three years after meeting at a ski camp and have taken the next step in their relationship.

In a joint social media post, Shiffrin and Kilde announced the news to their fans using a bunch of emojis. They also shared a few pictures, with Shiffrin’s new ring getting prominently featured.