Fresh off her historic third Olympic gold medal and a record-breaking slalom domination at Milano Cortina 2026, Mikaela Shiffrin delivered the line that’s already sending shockwaves through the ski world: when asked about competing at the 2030 Winter Games, the 30-year-old legend simply said, “I don’t know.”
In an exclusive interview with Reuters the day after her emotional, margin-crushing victory (1.50 seconds ahead — the largest in an Olympic alpine event since 1998), Shiffrin admitted she’s fully immersed in the present while quietly sensing a major transition looming in her storied career.
“I’m so in it right now,” she told Reuters. “There’s actually so much left of this season. It’s a big goal for me to be competing for this overall title. And there’s potentially four to six races left in the season for me. There’s so many things to look forward to.”
She continued: “I feel that there’s some kind of transition in my career coming closer, but I don’t know what that looks like and I don’t know how to say it.”
The American superstar — now the most decorated U.S. alpine skier in Olympic history with three golds and four total medals — holds an untouchable 108 World Cup wins, 15 world championship medals (eight gold), and is on track for her sixth overall crystal globe and a record ninth slalom globe.
Yet when the conversation turned to the long-term future, Shiffrin was candid about the uncertainty.
“Every day I go out for training and I love it,” she said. “I love skiing and I love training and I love practicing. So I don’t know how it looks for the next four years. Four years feels like a really long time, but also it goes by so fast. So I could tell you something now and then we’d be four years from now, like, ‘Oh. Oopsie.'”
Her words come after an intensely emotional week in which she spoke openly about grieving her father, Jeff Shiffrin, who passed away in 2020. On Thursday, she elaborated on finally finding peace in speaking to him without needing a response — a breakthrough she credits with helping her cross the finish line and claim gold.
The skiing community is now buzzing: Is this the beginning of the end for one of the greatest alpine racers ever? Or just the honest reflection of an athlete living fully in the moment after a career-defining triumph?
Shiffrin, engaged to Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, isn’t closing any doors — but she’s not promising to keep them open forever either. For now, the focus remains on the races ahead this season… and whatever comes next, whenever she’s ready to decide.
One thing is clear: when (or if) Mikaela Shiffrin hangs up her skis, the sport — and the Olympics — will never be quite the same. 🇺🇸⛷️
