Mikaela Shiffrin had just finished eating lunch on Thursday in the picturesque French Alps village of Courchevel. An hour earlier, with a second-place finish in a super-G race тАФ

one day after a victory in a downhill race тАФ Shiffrin clinched the World CupтАЩs season-long overall title, ski racingтАЩs biggest prize, representing the highest achiever in a globe-trotting, six-month, 37-race marathon.

For Shiffrin, 27, it was her fourth overall title, tying her for the American record held by Lindsey Vonn. Only one woman, the six-time winner Annemarie Moser-Proll of Austria, has more.

After Disappointing Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin Wins World Cup Overall Title

By many measures, Shiffrin has had a good year.

How then does she explain the lasting images of her troubled 2022 Beijing Olympics odyssey: three stunning tumbles to the snow in three of her best events?

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Shiffrin sighed.

тАЬIt is confusing,тАЭ she conceded in a telephone interview on Thursday. She went on to offer several thoughts and theories but then stopped herself.

тАЬIтАЩm rambling,тАЭ she said. There was a simpler explanation.

тАЬSome days it doesnтАЩt work out; it just happened to be at the races that most people watch every four years,тАЭ Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic champion, finally said. тАЬYou can try too hard and it ends up backfiring, and after 11 years of my career, I know that and I didnтАЩt find the right balance in China.

тАЬBut it doesnтАЩt define whatтАЩs happened in my past and it doesnтАЩt define whatтАЩs going to happen in the future. It was an honest failure and we donтАЩt have to overanalyze that.тАЭ

Those comments were in contrast ShiffrinтАЩs profound soul-searching Shiffrin minutes after her disquieting crashes at the Games. But Shiffrin is a month removed from the 2022 Olympics and back on more familiar territory. She said she still felt a тАЬlittle embarrassed,тАЭ about the Games, where she did not win a medal in any of her five events, but added that, тАЬIтАЩm also proud that I got back up and raced and never stopped trying.тАЭ

Shiffrin has now been on the podium in four of her last six World Cup races. On Thursday, Shiffrin, a three-time Olympian who is on a pace to set every major ski racing record, laughed as she said: тАЬToday was a good day. Yesterday was a good day. IтАЩm pretty sure there will be more good days.тАЭ

As the season-ending World Cup finals continue this weekend in France, Shiffrin has two more races and will be among the favorites in each. Since the finals are the rare time the menтАЩs and womenтАЩs circuits convene at the same venue, Shiffrin has also been reunited with her boyfriend Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who won silver and bronze medals at the Beijing Games for Norway. After WednesdayтАЩs womenтАЩs downhill victory, which was ShiffrinтАЩs first win in the discipline in two years, Kilde met her in the finish area for a long embrace.

тАЬWhat a day,тАЭ Kilde said.

The duo trained on the Eclipse downhill racecourse at Courchevel on Monday. Hours before ShiffrinтАЩs victory, Kilde claimed the World Cup menтАЩs downhill season-long title, 14 months after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He added the super-G discipline title the next day.

тАЬItтАЩs been wonderful to be able to see Aleks and itтАЩs been a very exciting week for him, too,тАЭ Shiffrin said. тАЬThereтАЩs just better energy going around us and thatтАЩs been quite special. Just being able to talk with him has helped realign some perspectives.

тАЬThereтАЩs a lot of things that I have to really be grateful for, especially with everything that has been going on with Ukraine over these last weeks. ThereтАЩs some serious, real crap going on in the world this year.тАЭ

Shiffrin said that the potential for a military conflict in Ukraine was a constant backdrop in the Olympic athletesтАЩ village.

тАЬThe Olympics were an interesting place to be, it was kind of insane to be there competing when we also knew that Russia was lining the borders of the Ukraine,тАЭ she said. тАЬAnd then seeing some of the Ukrainian athletes there and wondering what they were thinking and then it was just like, тАШOK, weтАЩre just going to have the Olympics now.тАЩ

тАЬIt was very strange.тАЭ

For most of the season, Shiffrin said her emotions have been up and down.

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тАЬObviously, the Olympics were some of my lowest moments in ski racing, and even in life,тАЭ she said. тАЬThat was a hard wall to climb over. But winning the overall title came into focus as a big goal. And sometimes the natural balance of life sways in different directions.

тАЬI donтАЩt really believe in fate or that things are meant to be, but somehow it has felt just slightly easier in the last four days than it has felt for the last couple months of this season. IтАЩve taken a breath and letting myself enjoy it more.

тАЬYou know, really enjoy the good days. Today was a good day.тАЭ

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