Page 15 - aruba-today-20221021

A15
SPORTS Friday 21 OctOber 2022
Shiffrin gaining on Vonn, Stenmark as World Cup season opens

By HOWARD FENDRICH and if it gets to the point
AP National Writer where I’m not able to con-
Mikaela Shiffrin heads into tinue to push, then it’s kind
the World Cup season that of pointless to keep doing
begins Saturday in Austria it, at least at this capac-
with 74 career wins on the ity,” Shiffrin continued. “So
circuit, putting her within that would be my gauge
shouting distance of Lind- for when can I retire or be
sey Vonn’s 82, the most for done with skiing, done with
a woman, and Ingemar ski racing, and feel kind of
Stenmark’s overall mark of comfortable with what I’ve
86. accomplished. To be hon-
As Shiffrin’s total increases est, it could be tomorrow,
she never claimed fewer and I’m already comfort-
than three victories in any able with what I’ve ac-
of her 10 previous seasons, complished.”
with a high of 17 in 2018- Stenmark, a Swede, partici-
19 each triumph is sure pated in 16 World Cup sea-
to be met with attention sons in the 1970s and 1980s.
to, and questions about, Vonn, an American, raced
those records. When the for 19 seasons before retir-
27-year-old from Colorado ing in 2019. “When I think
was asked Thursday about about goals in the sport,
where she would place Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on the podium with the trophy for the alpine ski women’s overall World when I was younger, it was
that sort of achievement Cup title, in Meribel, France, Sunday, March 20, 2022. a little bit vague. It was like
on a resume that already Associated Press ‘Oh, I want to be the best in
includes four overall World rank it pretty high. I mean, longevity, which she places feel like I have the energy the world.’ And then you’re
Cup titles, two Olympic it would be an enormous among her biggest goals the physical and mental like, ‘Oh, OK, well, I want to
gold medals and a half- accomplishment in my ca- as an athlete. energy to keep pushing keep being the best in the
dozen world champion- reer, and maybe one of And then, shifting the focus and to really continue to world,’ I guess. So that’s sort
ships, Shiffrin contemplated the most meaningful ac- of her response, Shiffrin said push the sport, which is the of it, I guess. It’s like: ‘How
two points of view, even complishments, because she would not consider basis of what I want to try long can I continue to be a
veering into an unprompt- it would have meant that I surpassing Vonn and Sten- to do, is to always push the contender for the top spot
ed appraisal of what will was consistently at the top mark the be-all-and-end- sport,” said Shiffrin, who on the podium in my career
determine when she’s and successful throughout all of her competitive time didn’t earn a medal in any in as many races as I can?’
ready to retire. my entire career, through- on the slopes. of her five individual events And it is a little bit vague,
If, Shiffrin said on a video out multiple kind of gener- “I do not feel like I have to at the Beijing Olympics in but it leaves a lot of room
conference with reporters, ations of athletes, despite achieve that record in or- February, unable to com- to be ambitious, almost to
she owns the World Cup injuries, despite some very der to feel comfortable re- plete the courses for three. a fault,” Shiffrin said. “But
wins record by the time traumatic experiences.” tiring. I feel like retirement is “I feel like I’ve been able that keeps me motivated.
she walks away from ski It would represent achiev- fully based off of just how I to do that for most of my ... Just keep going. Just
racing: “I would probably ing sustained success and feel when I’m skiing and if I career, or all of my career, keep swimming.”q

Brady apologizes for comparing playing football to military

By FRED GOODALL was a very poor choice of want to have this play-
AP Sports Writer words,” Brady said. “I just ful balance with the work
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom want to express that to any balance, you’re going to
Brady apologized Thursday sentiments out there that end up doing exactly what
for making a comparison people may have taken in you’ve always done, which
between football and mili- a certain way, so I apolo- is why you are who you
tary deployment while in- gize.” are,” Brady added. “You’re
terviewing NBA star Kevin Durant was a guest on the going to go, how do I get it
Durant on the seven-time podcast Monday. done?”
Super Bowl champion’s “I almost look at a foot- The quarterback was
weekly podcast. ball season like you’re go- asked Thursday to explain
The Tampa Bay Bucca- ing away on deployment the point he was trying to
neers quarterback said he in the military, and it’s like, make during the podcast.
used a “very poor choice ‘Man, here I go again.’ “To be honest, I really don’t
of words” on the SiriusXM There’s only one way to do want to expand on it too
podcast “Let’s Go! With it. ... The reality is you can much. ... I have a tremen-
Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald really only be authentic to dous amount of gratitude
and Jim Gray” while he yourself, right?” Brady said for everyone who served
and Durant were discussing on the podcast. (in the military),” Brady said.
the difficulty of balancing a “Whenever you may say, “In the end, we play a
commitment to being high- ‘Oh man, I want to, you game and the military is
ly successful athletes with know, make sure I spend a defending our country,”
life outside of sports. little more time doing this.’ Brady added. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a
“Earlier this week I made a When it comes down to it, “It’s two very different pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the
statement about playing your competitiveness takes things, and I shouldn’t have Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022.
football and the military. It over and as much as you made the comparison.”q Associated Press