You are now reading news’s interview column “På Heimebane”. Here we meet well-known sports figures and ask them a series of questions about big and small things. Today: Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin. Current with: May tie the Swedish alpine legend Ingemar Stenmark as the all-time winningest alpine skier in the World Cup. We start with five quick and easy: – Apart from sports, what do you spend most of your time on? – It must be washing. – What can make you really pissed off? – When people lie and tell things that are not true – What is the stupidest purchase you have made in the last year? – There is probably such a “popsocket” to have on the mobile phone. – What is your most controversial opinion? – Pizza with pineapple is quite delicious. – When was the last time you spent NOK 1,000 or more on a dinner? – I’ve spent more than that just on biscuits at the hotel I’m staying at. I know it’s not dinner, but they are so insanely good. I entered the door of the hotel here and they were like “don’t worry, we have biscuits”. Last year I ate an insane amount. HENNAR’S SECOND HOME: The American alpine star thrives on Norwegian soil. Photo: Lars Thomas Nordby / news – You are one win away from breaking Stenmark’s record. How much do you think about it? – To be honest, I’ve thought about it a lot, but that’s because everyone is talking about it. It’s absolutely insane. Regardless of whether it’s in an interview or whether it’s people on the street who win; “you can take this record!”. However, I’m not there yet! Ok, so I’m one win away from being level with Stenmark and it doesn’t seem like very much, but it’s a win that needs to be done. Winning a World Cup race is quite difficult, so it’s not the easiest thing to just make it happen. Even if the number on the record is in my head, I try to push it away and focus on my overall goal. Because it’s not about winning, it’s about doing my best. It can absolutely be a victory, but it also can’t be. I don’t take it for granted. – Stenmark says that you are so much better than he was and that you can’t even compare. What do you think about it? – I feel the same about him. No matter what I manage to achieve, Ingemar Stenmark is synonymous with alpine skiing. What he did in his career set the standard for us all. For all generations! It is absolutely incredible, and yes, maybe people will think of me, but I think they will still think of him longer. He is the one that people want to think about and I feel that it will not even matter if I reach 87 or whatever number I reach, because he has always been at the top of the pyramid for me. – Aren’t you a little shy? – No, I’m not shy. He sent me a video where he talks about how I can do it and go for the record. I just become like that; “He has no idea who he is!”. It’s the coolest thing, because he is … Ingemar Stenmark is alpine sports itself and he doesn’t even know it himself. I guess that’s the point. That mentality is what makes him who he is. HISTORICAL: A humble Shiffrin finds it difficult to appreciate the success. Photo: Lars Thomas Nordby / news – You just came back from the WC as world champion and double silver medallist. Congratulations. Is there enough time to enter? – Thanks! A little yes and a little no. It is very difficult to process the success and be world champion. It’s strange, actually. In a way I realize it, but in another way I don’t think too much about it. I don’t know why it is like that. – You had to put up with a lot of pressure after the Olympics, in addition to the start of the WC – more than most people have to put up with. How does it feel to get those medals? Do you feel that you refuted them or did you not think about it at all? – Well, I certainly thought about it. Mostly because it is such a big question as many styles, especially throughout the summer and at the start of this season. The biggest question I got one hundred percent of the time was; “Are you afraid you won’t get a medal or become world champion?”. I think I got to a point where I knew it would be possible to win a medal, but I also knew it was possible I wouldn’t win a medal. I wasn’t afraid of it. I just know that you can’t win a medal if you drive scared. So I tried to take it one day at a time, be aggressive and have a good mentality. That’s what I was able to do, so it was a good feeling. WORLD CHAMPION: Mikaela Shiffrin left the WC with two silver medals and one gold medal. Photo: LEONHARD FOEGER / Reuters – Aleksander (Aamodt Kilde) has said that he learns a lot from how you handle difficult situations. So how do you deal with them? – I think we learn a lot from each other, especially when things are challenging. On tough days, I always think about how he would have coped and how he would have driven. What would his mentality be. He is very positive and very smart with how he goes about it. When I come to a race and don’t know how to handle it, I always think about what he would have done. Then I think I can handle it better because of him. – He also said that you are very good at dealing with pressure and difficult questions. – Haha. Some times. – Is it difficult to be genuine when you are faced with “stupid” questions or do you get them over and over again? – I feel that normally there are no stupid questions. I try to keep the perspective that if someone asks a question it is either because they want to know or because others want to know. Of course, it can be challenging to answer the same questions over and over again, but that is also part of the way we tell a story. For athletes, it is also the way we get fans to look at us and the sport we play. Sometimes you have to repeat yourself, but in the end that’s how you get fans to the sport. They get to see me, Aleksander or one of the other athletes. It’s a bit of a give and take. When I have that perspective, it is so much easier to stand in it and have those conversations. STAR COUPLE: Kilde and Shiffrin learned from each other. Photo: Reuters/NTB – You have a large team around you. Is there someone you are closer to than others? Someone you go to when you’re stressed and overwhelmed? – I think I share my time equally with everyone. First of all, I would go to my mother, but of course my PR manager Meghan also gets her ear full a few times. My physiotherapist Regan also gets a few moments when I’m lying on the bench and I’m frustrated. I like to think we can all lean on each other. Everyone has good days and everyone has bad days. We are there for each other the best we can and lift each other up. – Do you ever reflect on the fact that you are one of the best alpine skiers ever? – It’s a bit like being world champion. It’s hard to take it in and I don’t quite know what to do with it when I think about it. I don’t know, but the coolest thing is to think that when I was a little girl and dreamed of winning the World Cup, I would never have thought that I was in a position to take the record as the most winning alpine skier. It’s a bit “mind-blowing” to me. Shiffrin can take Stenmark’s record when she runs the giant slalom on Friday at 10 a.m. As usual, you can follow the race in news’s live centre. THE SOVEREIGN: Shiffrin is praised by Ingemar Stenmark, who refers to her as better than him.
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