A personal tragedy. The global pandemic. Then a back injury to top it all off. Mikaela Shiffrin had to deal with a surprising number of setbacks in 2020. But if thereâs a silver lining, those setbacks also created a new bond between the 25-year-old skiing great and her coaching team â a bond that has her back as one of the favorites at next weekâs world championships in Italy. âWeâve become almost like family,â Shiffrin said a few days before the start of the worlds. âWith the last year that I have experienced, I have been even more grateful for their support, not only as coaches in my professional career, but also almost like mentors in life.â