Mikaela Shiffrin’s much-anticipated comeback to speed events in Sunday’s World Cup super-G at St. Moritz may have ended without a finishing time, but the American superstar described the experience as a vital building block, providing the reassurance and motivation she sought as the road to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics intensifies.
After nearly two years away from the discipline—her last super-G start dating back to December 2023 in Val d’Isère—Shiffrin tackled the demanding Corviglia course with bib 31. She appeared strong and on pace through much of the run, potentially eyeing a top-10 result, before striding out just before the finish after missing the penultimate gate.
Despite the DNF, Shiffrin emphasized the positives, noting the race delivered the exact sensations she needed. “I had a lot of fun out there,” she shared post-race. “The nerves were definitely there—I kept telling my team how nervous I was—but we had a solid plan, and for about 98 percent of the run, I was thrilled with how it felt.”
The St. Moritz track, known for its technical demands and varied terrain, proved an ideal reintroduction. Shiffrin highlighted its blend of familiarity and challenge: “This course requires total focus—there’s so much to process with the changing terrain. It’s the perfect first step back into speed.”
Without recent downhill training runs, the mental demands were heightened, but Shiffrin felt prepared. Concerns about regaining high-speed feel, especially over jumps—she’d only completed a handful in the past two years—were alleviated. “My technique on the final jump was perfect,” she said. “It was all about ticking those boxes and rebuilding that confidence.”
The broader U.S. team enjoyed a solid weekend, with multiple athletes posting strong results amid a standout performance from Lindsey Vonn, who capped her remarkable return with a fourth-place finish (+0.27 seconds) after downhill wins and podiums earlier in the weekend. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson claimed victory in 1:14.84, her first career super-G triumph, edging France’s Romane Miradoli (+0.08) and Italy’s Sofia Goggia (+0.19).
For Shiffrin, the unfinished run only fueled her enthusiasm. “It makes me excited to try again—that’s the feeling I wanted,” she said. Reconnecting with the speed team added to the joy: “It’s been wonderful being back with the group and feeling that energy again.”
With the result secondary to the process, Shiffrin now turns to technical events, while eyeing potential future speed starts ahead of Olympic qualification. Her performance, even incomplete, signals a skier ready to expand her all-event ambitions once more.0c69e9,caf2ab,09dabd,ce6ad1,cd90f9
