Mikaela Shiffrin, the most successful alpine skier in World Cup history, is approaching the 2026-27 season with a deliberate shift in priorities. The American star, who won slalom gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and claimed a record-equaling sixth overall World Cup title last season, has described the new campaign as her “exploration season.”
Shiffrin, 31, will reduce her starts in slalom—the discipline in which she holds a World Cup record of 73 victories—and place greater emphasis on giant slalom and super-G. She is expected to compete in the season-opening giant slalom in Sölden this weekend but plans to skip the early-November slaloms in Levi, Finland, and Gurgl, Austria. Her first slalom of the season is scheduled for Killington, Vermont, on November 29.
“I am really excited at the opportunity to have space to focus a bit more with giant slalom and super-G,” Shiffrin said ahead of the Sölden race. “I’m looking forward to the chance to have this space to kind of play with how I’m training, when I’m training, how I’m having recovery days as well.” She added that she has felt for some time that a schedule shift might be needed after years of a relatively consistent approach centered on slalom.
The decision follows a dominant 2025-26 campaign in which Shiffrin won nine of 10 World Cup slaloms and secured Olympic gold in the event by a decisive 1.50-second margin over Switzerland’s Camille Rast—her third Olympic gold medal and first since 2018. She has said the relief of the Olympic victory felt “like being born again,” allowing her greater freedom to pursue curiosity in other disciplines while protecting long-term motivation and longevity in the sport.
Shiffrin has tempered expectations for Sölden, characterizing the race more as a high-intensity training opportunity than a primary target. “I don’t think you should put me on your bingo card to win this race,” she said, while noting that her skiing has been strong and that she hopes to be competitive.
The strategic pivot carries implications for the overall World Cup standings. Shiffrin enters the season as the defending champion, but a reduced slalom schedule could open opportunities for versatile rivals such as Germany’s Emma Aicher. Shiffrin has acknowledged the potential trade-off, stating that she is accepting the possibility that the overall title may not be the central goal while she tests her capabilities elsewhere.
With 110 career World Cup victories, Shiffrin remains the benchmark in women’s alpine skiing. Her “exploration season” marks a calculated effort to sustain engagement and performance as she looks beyond the immediate calendar toward future cycles, including the 2030 Winter Olympics.
Mikaela Shiffrin shifts World Cup race schedule for season of ‘exploration’ – NBC Sports
