Twelve years after her breakout triumph as an 18-year-old phenom at Sochi 2014, Mikaela Shiffrin has returned to Olympic glory, capturing gold in the women’s slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games and securing her third career Olympic gold medal — her first individual medal in eight years.
The 30-year-old American legend dominated the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre course with precision and power, posting the fastest first-run time of 47.13 seconds to build an 0.82-second advantage. She then delivered a flawless second run of 51.97 seconds, finishing with a combined time of 1:39.10 — a decisive 1.50 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Camille Rast (silver, 1:40.60) and 1.71 seconds clear of Sweden’s Anna Swenn-Larsson (bronze, 1:40.81).
This victory ends Shiffrin’s eight-year Olympic individual medal drought since her giant slalom gold at PyeongChang 2018. After a tough start to these Games — including an 11th-place finish in giant slalom — Shiffrin saved her best for her signature event, attacking the gates aggressively and holding her nerve under immense pressure.
Crossing the finish line, Shiffrin erupted in joy, pumping her fists skyward as the American flag waved and the crowd roared. The win cements her as the most successful U.S. Alpine skier in Olympic history, with three golds and one additional medal overall, surpassing previous records and solidifying her legacy as one of the greatest skiers of all time — backed by her unmatched World Cup record of over 100 victories.
From the youthful shock of Sochi to the masterful redemption in Cortina, Shiffrin’s journey underscores unwavering excellence and resilience in Alpine skiing’s most demanding discipline.
