Mikaela Shiffrin‘s success this season is more remarkable given it came after a preseason injury that could continue to effect her as the 2022 Winter Olympics approach.
Shiffrin, after back pain sidelined her nearly six months ago, played catch-up throughout the autumn and winter. She made it to this week’s World Cup Finals (TV schedule here).
She performed well this season given the much-talked-about circumstances, winning a record-tying four medals at February’s world championships.
She also has a chance to finish the season as the top-ranked slalom skier for a seventh time in nine years — if she wins Saturday’s race in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, and Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova finishes third or worse.