Mikaela Shiffrin wins and wins and wins. The ski racer also won the second giant slalom at Plan de Corones in South Tyrol on Wednesday, cementing her position as the world’s best runner. However, an interview that Shiffrin gave to the Austrian broadcaster ORF after the race caused more of a stir than her first place.
“I was mentally so tired after the win yesterday, and then I was excited because I realized that I was tired,” said Shiffrin – and then gave another reason why the race was difficult for her despite the win: “I’m not having the best moment in my monthly cycle right now.” However, the translator on Austrian television got it completely wrong. He repeated the passage from English: “It’s very exhausting. I don’t even get to ride my bike, which I do every month.”
The man obviously misunderstood the term “monthly cycle”. Certainly an understandable faux pas when it comes to the demanding task of simultaneous translation, but it may also be a sign that periods in sport are still a taboo subject. The 27-year-old American was celebrated online for being open about it. “That should be normal,” Shiffrin said.
The two-time Olympic champion (gold in slalom 2014 and giant slalom 2018) is on the verge of writing sports history and breaking an all-time record. Shiffrin celebrated her World Cup victories number 83 and 84 at Kronplatz. She only has to win two more races to catch up with the Swedish alpine legend Ingemar Stenmark. She can already achieve this goal this weekend at the World Cup in the Czech Republic. “Sure, it’s possible, but I have to recover first and then see how much energy I can muster,” said Shiffrin after the race on Wednesday.
Source: ORF
