Mikaela Shiffrin has reclaimed her spot on the giant slalom podium, marking a triumphant return in the discipline for the first time since a serious crash in November 2024.
The American skiing superstar finished third in Saturday’s World Cup giant slalom in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic, on January 24, 2026 — the final GS event before next month’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Shiffrin, beaming with joy and pumping her skis in celebration upon hearing her bronze-medal announcement, crossed the finish line with a combined time of 2:24.09. She trailed Sweden’s Sara Hector, who secured the victory, by just 0.23 seconds, while her U.S. teammate Paula Moltzan took silver, edging Shiffrin by a razor-thin 0.05 seconds.
This result ends a challenging stretch for Shiffrin in giant slalom, where she holds the women’s record with 22 World Cup wins but had gone 11 races without a top-three finish. The road back began after a dramatic incident at the Killington World Cup in Vermont in late 2024. Leading after the first run, Shiffrin lost balance in the second, crashed, and suffered a puncture wound to her right obliques from an object on the course — narrowly avoiding damage to her colon. The injury required surgery and sidelined her for two months as she healed physically.
Beyond the physical setback, the crash left lasting psychological effects, including PTSD symptoms during GS training. Shiffrin described a disorienting “fun-house” sensation where her mind knew the intended line, but her body reacted in slow motion — a dangerous disconnect at high speeds on icy slopes reaching up to 50 mph.
With dedicated off-season recovery and training, Shiffrin showed steady improvement this season, posting top-five results in her previous two giant slalom outings. Saturday’s performance highlighted her growing confidence: she appeared composed and controlled throughout both runs, even recording the fastest time in the third sector of the second leg.
Špindlerův Mlýn holds special significance for the 2018 Olympic GS gold medalist — it was the site of her World Cup debut in 2011, and she had previously finished third in her last two GS races there.
The strong showing from Shiffrin and Moltzan, combined with a U.S. contingent placing well in the top eight, provides a major boost heading into the Olympics. For Shiffrin, this podium feels like a long-awaited milestone, proving her resilience and setting an optimistic tone for the Games.
