As the crisp alpine air sharpens into competitive edge, Mikaela Shiffrin is counting down the final hours to her 2025/26 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup debut with a mix of trademark intensity and infectious enthusiasm. The American superstar, a two-time Olympic champion and the most decorated skier in World Cup history, took to social media Wednesday with a succinct yet electric post: “2 days left”: counting down the days ready? _Mikaela Shiffrin wrote as she debut in Sölden this weekend.
Shiffrin’s words, shared amid final preparations on the Rettenbach Glacier, capture the pulse of a season laced with Olympic stakes. The women’s giant slalom opener on Saturday, October 25, at 10:00 CET marks the ignition of a campaign culminating in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. For the 30-year-old from Eagle-Vail, Colorado, it’s not just a race—it’s a recalibration after a turbulent 2024/25 that tested her resilience.
The post arrives as Shiffrin wraps up a focused training block in Sölden, where she has etched her legacy with victories in 2014 and 2021, plus four additional podiums. “We are all nervous balls of anxiety,” she quipped in a recent FIS interview, laughing off the pre-season jitters that accompany any title chase. Yet her latest message radiates readiness, a subtle nod to fans and foes alike that the queen of technical skiing is primed to reclaim her throne.
This season opener comes on the heels of a challenging year for Shiffrin, marred by a freak injury during the Killington giant slalom in November 2024. A puncture wound sidelined her for two months, sapping confidence upon her return and contributing to a rollercoaster finish that saw her settle for third in the overall standings. Off the slopes, she channeled that adversity into vulnerability, openly discussing mental health hurdles in media sessions and podcasts—a move she credits for her growth. “Sharing, speaking, and connecting with others about my life and experiences has helped me immensely to grow, develop further, and look forward after traumatic events and injuries,” Shiffrin reflected earlier this month.
Now, with eyes on a record-extending sixth overall World Cup crystal globe and potential gold in Milan-Cortina, Shiffrin is adopting a surgical approach. She’s ruled out the downhill for the Olympics, citing training constraints, and remains undecided on super-G—though a mid-December test in St. Moritz will inform that call. Her provisional schedule leans heavily into her strengths: up to 16 technical races, including slalom and giant slalom staples in Sölden, Levi, and home soil at Copper Mountain. “I feel as motivated as ever. I also feel realistic about the position I’m in right now,” she told reporters Wednesday, tempering dreams of another overall title with the depth of the field.
The Sölden piste, carved into the glacier at over 3,000 meters, promises early drama. Absent will be Italy’s Federica Brignone, last season’s overall champion, who suffered a fractured leg and ACL tear in preseason. That vacancy spotlights challengers like Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami, a Sölden specialist eyeing her fifth win here, and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, whose breakout silver at the 2025 Worlds in Saalbach signals upset potential. Sweden’s Sara Hector, Olympic GS gold medalist from Beijing, adds veteran firepower, having podiumed in four straight GS seasons.
Shiffrin’s U.S. teammates, meanwhile, boast unprecedented depth in speed events—a “stacked” roster including world downhill champion Breezy Johnson and rising star Lauren Macuga, with Lindsey Vonn’s influence lingering as a mentor figure. For Shiffrin, whose partner Aleksander Aamodt Kilde eyes a December return from injury, the team dynamic fuels her fire.
As gates drop Saturday, broadcast concerns linger—Shiffrin herself flagged fragmented rights earlier this year, urging centralized deals for broader access. U.S. viewers can tune in via Peacock, with global coverage on discovery+ and Eurosport. Environmental critiques of glacier racing and zigzag tour logistics persist, but Shiffrin’s focus—and her fans’—remains laser-sharp on the snow.
With 97 World Cup wins already in the bank, one more would etch her name alone atop the sport’s pantheon. As the countdown ticks to zero, Shiffrin’s simple query hangs in the alpine ether: Are you ready? The glacier awaits.
