The GOAT of skiing, Mikaela Shiffrin, is searching for a new head coach. The Associated Press reports that Mikaela Shiffrin has surprisingly split from her coach, Mike Day, in the middle of the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Meribel, France. The story didn’t distract Mikaela though, as she just won Gold in the Giant Slalom event.
It sounds like Mikaela recently informed Mike Day that she would be reorganizing her coaching staff at the end of the season, so he could begin searching for other opportunities while continuing to coach her. After Mike Day was told this, he was shocked by the news and decided to quit on the spot.
Mike Day has been a part of Mikaela’s personal team for the past seven years. According to Ski Racing Media, his ski coaching career has included tenures at Carrabassett Valley Academy, the Park City Ski Team, the U.S. Ski Team (which he joined before the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake), and Green Mountain Valley School.
Patrick Riml, the U.S. Alpine director, gave the following statement to The Associated Press:
“Mikaela wants to do something different going forward. She wants a new challenge. And she informed Mike, and Mike decided to go home. It’s a shock for me that he took off. He left yesterday. He’s on the plane probably now.
We’ve got plenty of people here to support Mikaela and provide the training and the information she needs on race day to do her job. She’s got great support. … We’ll decide together what makes the most sense moving forward.”
Mikaela released the following statement thru the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team:
“After working with Mike Day for seven seasons, I’ve decided to move forward with new leadership on my team for the next phase of my career. I want to thank Mike and acknowledge all of his work and dedication over the last several years.”
The situation for her is another hurdle in a career that has become full of them in recent years, but she’s been able to persevere thru these challenges and hardships. Regardless of this situation, she’s having another record-breaking season, and many more will come in the future. In addition, I think that Mike Day will have a long and successful career in ski racing ahead of him.
Image Credits: U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, Mikaela Shiffrin
