As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics alpine events near their conclusion, American skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin faces her ultimate test: overcoming the mental hurdles that have plagued her on the Olympic stage in recent years.
The 30-year-old, hailed as one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time with a record 108 World Cup victories—including 71 in slalom—has dominated her signature discipline this season, winning seven of eight races and securing a ninth slalom crystal globe. Yet the Olympics have proven a different beast. Shiffrin has not medaled since her golds in 2014 (slalom) and 2018 (giant slalom), enduring a blank slate in Beijing 2022 and so far in Cortina: fourth in the team combined (after a conservative slalom leg) and 11th in giant slalom.
The ABC Sport Daily podcast, hosted by Poppy Penny, spotlighted this narrative, asking if Shiffrin can shake off the “yips”—the term for performance anxiety under immense pressure—and deliver in Wednesday’s women’s slalom, her last event and strongest chance for gold.
Experts and observers point to the unique weight of the Olympics. Shiffrin has spoken candidly about the internal nerves that differ from routine World Cup races, compounded by personal challenges including the 2020 loss of her father and a severe 2024 crash that caused a puncture wound to her abdomen, leading to PTSD and a prolonged recovery.
Despite the setbacks, Shiffrin remains composed and forward-focused. She views pressure as a “privilege” and aims to channel nervousness into intensity, drawing lessons from earlier races in these Games where misalignments in mindset, equipment, and conditions held her back.
With rivals like Switzerland’s Camille Rast (the only one to beat her in slalom this season) circling, the stakes are sky-high. A strong showing could redefine her Olympic legacy and silence questions about her big-stage performance.
The skiing world watches closely as Shiffrin prepares for what could be a triumphant redemption—or another chapter in her battle against the Olympic spotlight. As one analyst noted, even the greatest feel the weight; the question is whether Shiffrin can rise above it one more time.
