US skiing star Shiffrin plays low key ahead of new season

After pulling off stellar performance last season, American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin plays a low key with new season kicking off this weekend.

Shiffrin, 24, broke several records last season. She won 17 World Cup races, shattering the 30-year-old record of 14 titles in a single season held by Swiss skier Vreni Schneider.

After claiming her first super-G win last December, Shiffrin became the first athlete in World Cup history to win all six Alpine ski disciplines. With her slalom win at the 2019 World Championships last February, she also became the first skier ever to win four consecutive world titles in a single discipline.

"Last season was this sort of standalone," Shiffrin was quoted by the official website of the US Olympic Committee as saying on Tuesday. "Obviously, very fond memories. But I'm like, who in their right mind could possibly expect to just keep repeating that? I'm maybe not always in my right mind, so if anyone would expect that, it would be me. But I tend to set more realistic expectations."

"Every year is different. You don't know who worked harder and got better. You have to roll with it and see what's possible. It's very unpredictable. Just try to keep my standards of my own skiing high and not having expectations," she added.

Shiffrin said she's not motivated by records or stats, but she likes the feeling of improving. "As long as that's there, I'm ready to keep going. I don't really have a timeline for retirement. I don't know if I'll make it until I'm 30. But if I'm at that point and I'm still having an absolute blast and still reaching my own standards of skiing, then I'll keep going."

The World Cup season is set to open on Saturday with the women's giant slalom race in Soelden, Austria.