American skier Mikaela Shiffrin decided to release her longtime coach Mike Day during the Alpine Skiing World Championships.
“After working with May Day for seven seasons, I have decided to move forward with a new team leader for the next phase of my career”, said Mikaela Shiffrin in a statement released by the US Ski Team. “I want to thank Mike and give him credit for his work and dedication over the past seven years,” added the skier.
The announcement comes a day before Mikaela Shiffrin competes in the giant slalom at the World Championships. The American won a silver medal in the super giant slalom last week before leaving Meribel for training outside the ski resort.
Mikaela Shiffrin is also in the midst of an outstanding Alpine Skiing World Cup season in which she has amassed 85 victories and surpassed Lindsey Vonn’s women’s record of 82, just one success away from Sweden’s Ingemark Stenmark for most first-place finishes in World Cup competitions in general. Ingemar Stenmark has 86 victories to his credit, achieved between 1975 and 1989.
The silver medal the American won in the super giant slalom ended her negative streak in major forums after she failed to make the honors in any of her six starts at the Beijing Olympics.
“Mikaela Shiffrin will continue to rely on the support of the US Ski Team coaches for the remainder of the season and into the future. The team thanks May Day for her work and tremendous success over the past seven years”, said theUS Ski Team.
Mikaela Shiffrin will also compete in the slalom at the World Championships before returning to World Cup starts.