Two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin has secured her spot on the U.S. team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, marking what will be her fourth Olympic appearance despite a challenging road back from a life-threatening injury.
The 30-year-old alpine skiing superstar reflected on her remarkable recovery in a recent interview with USA TODAY in Sun Valley, Idaho, just days after posting a 14th-place finish in the giant slalom at Copper Mountain; a result that was still strong enough to lock in her Olympic qualification.
Shiffrin’s 2024-25 season was nearly derailed by a violent crash in Killington, Vermont, late last year. The high-speed fall caused a deep abdominal puncture wound that became infected, ultimately requiring major surgery to clean the injury and prevent further complications.
Documenting her comeback on Instagram this week, Shiffrin posted side-by-side photos showing the dramatic healing of her surgical scars over the past 12 months.
“What a difference a year makes,” she captioned the post. “At the time, it was hard to feel progress day-to-day… but looking back now it’s so clear. Feeling very thankful right now. 💛 Can’t say I miss Allen though! 😅”
(“Allen” appears to be her humorous nickname for the infection.)
Her fiancé, Norwegian speed skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde; who himself returned to the World Cup podium this season after his own devastating 2024 crash; showed his support with a simple heart-eyes emoji in the comments.
Speaking earlier to Olympics.com, Shiffrin emphasized that she never wanted to take an Olympic roster spot unless she truly earned it.
“We have an incredible U.S. team with multiple medal contenders,” she said. “I don’t want to be taking a spot that I don’t earn and deserve to be there.”
Shiffrin’s Olympic record remains one of the most decorated in alpine skiing history:
2014 Sochi: Gold in slalom (youngest slalom Olympic champion ever at age 18)
2018 PyeongChang: Gold in giant slalom, silver in combined
2022 Beijing: Best finish of 4th in the mixed team event
Now fully healthy and back racing at the highest level, Shiffrin heads to Milano Cortina 2026 with 104 World Cup victories already to her name and motivation to add to her Olympic medal collection.
The alpine skiing events at the 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled for February 6–19 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
