Mikaela Shiffrin shares 2-word reaction after winning record-breaking eighth gold medal at World Championships

Mikaela Shiffrin expressed her thoughts after winning a record-equalling 15th World Championships medal in Saalbach. The American skier won the first-ever gold medal in the newly introduced combined team event at the World Championships in Saalbach.

Shiffrin is returning from an injury break and didn't initially plan to compete in the team event before reversing her decision at the last moment on Monday. She was paired with Breezy Johnson, her childhood teammate, who won the downhill world title last week.

Johnson was the fourth-fastest time in the downhill before Shiffrin recorded the third-fastest time in her slalom run to win the gold in a combined time of 2:40.89s. It marked Shiffrin's eighth gold medal, breaking her tie for seven with Toni Sailer, Marielle Goitschel, Anja Pärson, and Marcel Hirscher.

The 29-year-old expressed her delight in a post on X shortly after the race and sharing a winning selfie with Johnson.

"WORLD CHAMPIONS🥇🥇 (🥹😭🥳🤗🤯🤩) #stifelusskiteam," she wrote.

The Olympic champion also spoke about her relationship with Johnson during a post-race interview and praised the skier highly.

"So many things had to happen in the last ... how long it's been since we were 11. In order for this to happen we needed a new event entirely. This was an amazing day for me up there, nerve-wracking because Breezy did her job just spectacularly this morning," Mikaela Shiffrin said (via ESPN).

The 29-year-old will skip Thursday's Giant Slalom race and compete directly in the Slalom on February 15. If Shiffrin were to win a medal on Saturday, it would make her the most decorated skier in history at the World Championships.

---

"Mikaela Shiffrin is a legend" - Breezy Johnson pays tribute to childhood teammate after World Championships win

Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson win Audi FIS Alpine World Ski Championships - Source: Getty

Breezy Johnson returned to skiing at the end of 2024 following a 14-month ban for three anti-doping whereabouts failures and has been in the form of her life since. After winning her maiden World Championships medal last week, she is now a double world champion following the combined team event win with Mikaela Shiffrin.

The 29-year-old was delighted over Shiffrin's 15th World Championships medal and said:

"If we keep adding team events, maybe we can get 32 for her or something...She is a legend, it's super cool to be hitting my stride and she's obviously been on hers for a decade."

While Johnson made her World Cup debut four years after Shiffrin in 2015, her career was largely marred by injuries. However, the Wyoming native seems to have found her best form following her return, which is highlighted by her two gold medals at the Saalbach World Championships.