As the 2026 Winter Olympics approach, the most dominant Alpine skier in history is reassembling her inner circle — and the biggest reunion might be the most emotional.
Eileen Shiffrin, the mother, longtime coach, fierce advocate, and closest confidante to Mikaela Shiffrin, is back in the fold after a noticeable absence that left a void in “Team Shiffrin.” For the superstar who has rewritten the record books with over 100 World Cup wins, multiple Olympic golds, and an unmatched mastery of slalom and giant slalom, having Mom on the scene again feels like reclaiming a superpower.
Eileen has worn many hats in Mikaela’s career. She started coaching her daughter seriously when Mikaela was just 15, traveling the World Cup circuit as her guide and technical guru. Her uncanny eye for ski turns — spotting subtle movements others miss — helped turn a prodigy into the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) of Alpine skiing. But life intervened: personal losses, including the 2019 death of Eileen’s own mother and the devastating 2020 passing of her husband Jeff (Mikaela’s father), shifted priorities. Eileen stepped back from full-time travel and on-hill coaching in recent years.
The gap was felt. During stretches of Mikaela’s comeback from injuries — including a serious abdominal issue and the lingering effects of a high-profile crash — video analysis became the workaround. Mikaela would send footage from training runs; Eileen would fire back detailed critiques from afar. Head coach Paul Kristofic Harjo and assistant Janne Haarala picked up extra duties, but nothing quite replaced the intuitive, no-filter feedback only a mother who has watched every gate since kindergarten could provide.
Now, with the Milan-Cortina Games just days away (Alpine events kick off in Cortina in mid-February), Eileen is returning to the team environment. Family and close associates describe it as the final piece clicking into place for Mikaela’s fourth Olympic appearance. She’s targeting slalom, giant slalom, and possibly combined events on familiar Italian snow, chasing redemption after mixed results in prior Games and a focus on racing “on her own terms” post-recovery.
The timing couldn’t be more poignant. Ahead of the Olympics, Adidas released an emotional video narrated from Eileen’s perspective — “Mikaela Shiffrin by her Mom, a story only Eileen can tell” — chronicling mountain mornings, world titles, and the unshakable bond that built a legend. It dropped just as speculation swirled about Eileen’s role, turning personal history into viral inspiration.
For Mikaela, the reunion goes beyond tactics. “What would Mama do?” has long been her internal compass in pressure moments. With Eileen back — part parent, part coach, part friend — the bubble tightens, the confidence surges, and the quest for more Olympic hardware gains an extra layer of heart.
As one of the most anticipated storylines heading into Milan-Cortina, Team Shiffrin’s full-circle moment reminds us: even the greatest athletes don’t win alone. Sometimes, the missing piece is the one who’s been there from the very first turn.
