Mikaela Shiffrin is keeping it simple and sharp for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
The American alpine superstar, holder of a record 108 World Cup wins, will compete in only three events: her bread-and-butter disciplines of slalom and giant slalom, plus the team combined (where she’ll handle the slalom leg).
That’s a big cut from the six events she entered at the Beijing 2022 Games – where things didn’t go her way (three DNFs and no medals).
U.S. head coach Paul Kristofic confirmed the plan to The Associated Press on Thursday: “That decision was made quite a while ago, to focus on slalom and GS.”
Why the change? Two major crashes since 2022 played a role – including a nasty fall in downhill at Cortina in January 2024 and a serious abdominal puncture wound from a giant slalom crash at Killington last season. Shiffrin battled post-traumatic stress from the Killington incident and only returned to the podium in GS in her final pre-Olympic races less than two weeks ago.
Kristofic says the narrower focus is a game-changer: “You can get spread very thin chasing multiple disciplines… This narrowed focus has helped her stay on point.”
Shiffrin dominates slalom (71 of her 108 World Cup victories) and has 22 in giant slalom. She’s also got strong history in super-G (including a 2019 World Cup win right here in Cortina and world championship medals), but she’s skipping it this time – along with downhill and super-G individually.
The streamlined approach is paying off mentally and physically. After time, patience, and sticking to the plan, Shiffrin is back in top form for her key events.
Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s team looks loaded across the board:
Lindsey Vonn (41) is pushing through a torn ACL in her left knee from a crash just last week – she nailed her first downhill training run today (11th fastest, smiling at the finish with a big brace on).
Speed stars like Jackie Wiles, Breezy Johnson, and others have podiumed in downhill this season.
Tech side: Shiffrin, Paula Moltzan, and more are firing.
Kristofic is bullish: “We have medal chances in every event… We’re in a good spot coming into these Games.”
The team combined pairings (including potential “dream team” of Vonn and Shiffrin) will be decided after Sunday’s downhill – based purely on performance, not fan hype.
Shiffrin enters as the top-ranked slalom skier, with Moltzan, Nina O’Brien, and AJ Hurt rounding out a strong U.S. lineup.
After Beijing disappointment and injury setbacks, this focused, resilient approach could lead to redemption – and more hardware – on the Italian slopes.
Team USA fans: Are you ready for Shiffrin to light up slalom and GS? Drop a ❤️ if you’re cheering her on for gold! 🇺🇸⛷️
