The alpine skiing world is abuzz with excitement as Lindsey Vonn, the legendary speed queen, expresses her desire to team up with Mikaela Shiffrin, the reigning queen of slalom, for the new team combined event at the upcoming world championships in Austria. This dream pairing would bring together the two most successful women in World Cup history, with a staggering 181 World Cup wins between them.
Vonn, who came out of retirement at the age of 40 last month, has already made a impressive return to the slopes, finishing fourth in the super-g and sixth in the downhill at the Austrian venue of St Anton. Her sights are now set on the world championships, where she hopes to team up with Shiffrin and make a podium finish.
“I would love to race with Mikaela, that would be amazing and I think it would be probably one of the coolest things ever to have both of us competing together on the same team,” Vonn told dpa. “It’s 181 World Cup wins between the two of us. I’ve told my coaches that I want to.”
The team combined event, scheduled for February 11, will feature one skier competing on a downhill course and the other in a slalom run, with times added up. Each nation can enter several teams, and Vonn is eager to join forces with Shiffrin and make a strong bid for the podium.
Shiffrin, who has been sidelined with an abdominal injury since late November, is set to return to the World Cup on Thursday in a slalom in Courchevel, France. While it’s unclear how many events she plans to contest at the world championships, Vonn is hopeful that she’ll be ready for the team event.
“Mikaela hasn’t been back skiing yet, at least not with the team, so we have to see how she feels, but if she’s racing in the world championships then she must be good enough to race in the team event, I would imagine,” Vonn said.
The prospect of Vonn and Shiffrin teaming up is a tantalizing one, bringing together two of the most dominant forces in women’s alpine skiing. With their combined experience, skill, and competitive drive, they would be an unstoppable force on the slopes, and a podium finish would be a fitting reward for their efforts.
As the world championships approach, all eyes will be on Vonn and Shiffrin, hoping that they’ll join forces and create a dream team for the ages. With their impressive resumes and unwavering dedication to their sport, they would be an inspiration to fans around the world, and their partnership would be a testament to the power of teamwork and collaboration in achieving greatness.
