As the narrative of Olympic struggles continues to shadow Mikaela Shiffrin, the American alpine skiing superstar is quietly rebuilding her confidence in giant slalom — the discipline where she’s historically excelled but has yet to fully reclaim her dominance at these Milan Cortina Games.
In a candid assessment ahead of Sunday’s women’s giant slalom race, Shiffrin and her team emphasize progress over perfection following a gruesome crash in 2024 that left her impaled by a gate and sidelined for months. The 30-year-old, already the most successful female skier in World Cup history with over 100 victories, has been dogged by questions about her Olympic performances ever since a medal-less Beijing 2022 and a shocking fourth-place finish in the team combined here earlier this week, where a tense slalom run cost her and teammate Breezy Johnson a podium spot.
Despite the setbacks, Shiffrin is showing signs of resurgence in giant slalom — alpine skiing’s second-most technical event. Recent World Cup results, including a return to the podium after two years away from the discipline, indicate she’s regaining her edge. “It’s ‘building,'” sources close to her camp describe her current form, highlighting incremental improvements in technique, confidence, and aggression after a long recovery process.
The Colorado native has acknowledged holding back in certain turns where top rivals push harder, but she’s committed to staying true to her plan: patience, consistency, and gradual progression. With the giant slalom serving as her next big opportunity to end the Olympic medal drought (her last individual gold came in the event at PyeongChang 2018), expectations remain high — though tempered by realism.
Shiffrin’s journey at Milan Cortina has been anything but smooth. A disappointing team combined showing reignited talk of the “Olympic pressure” narrative, yet her supporters point to her stellar pre-Olympic season, where she dominated slalom and showed promising giant slalom strides.
As she prepares to chase gold on Sunday, Shiffrin is focusing on the process rather than the podium. Fans worldwide are rallying behind the legend, eager to see if this “building” phase culminates in another historic moment.
Will Shiffrin finally silence the doubters and add to her Olympic legacy? The slopes await. ❤️⛷️ #Shiffrin #MilanCortina2026 #Skiing
