American ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin claimed her 102nd career World Cup victory in the season-opening slalom at Levi, Finland, on November 15, 2025—and celebrated by naming the traditional prize reindeer after her mother’s childhood nickname.
The two-time Olympic champion dominated the race, building a lead of over one second after her first run to outpace Albania’s Lara Colturi and secure her third consecutive win at the venue. Shiffrin’s fifth victory in the last six Levi slaloms extended her all-time record for World Cup triumphs.
Following the medals ceremony, Shiffrin was introduced to her new reindeer, which she dubbed “Winkie” in tribute to her mother and coach, Eileen Shiffrin. “It’s been a long time coming for my mom to finally get a reindeer in her name, but now it’s written ❤️,” Shiffrin shared on social media.
The young reindeer sniffed at Shiffrin’s gloves before accepting some food from her. Winkie will join Shiffrin’s growing herd—now nine strong—at a Finnish farm, alongside previous prizes Rudolph, Sven, Mr. Gru, Ingemar, Sunny, Lorax, Grogu, and Rori. Shiffrin visited the group after last year’s World Cup events.
“It was really nice to race today,” Shiffrin said post-race. “I really enjoy being here and [I’m] so happy to kick off the slalom season.”
With her latest success, Shiffrin jokingly positioned herself as a potential Santa Claus standby, thanks to her expanding team of reindeer.
