In a stunning twist at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin delivered a rare off-day in the women’s team combined event, turning what looked like a sure medal for her duo into fourth place—and gifting a bronze to her fellow Americans.
Paired with downhill specialist Breezy Johnson (fresh off her individual downhill gold), the U.S. team entered the slalom leg with a slim lead thanks to Johnson’s blazing first-run performance. Shiffrin, the greatest slalom skier in history with dominant World Cup wins this season, was expected to seal the deal. Instead, she skied tentatively under visible tension, posting only the 15th-fastest slalom time out of the 18 finishers and dropping the pair to fourth—missing the podium by a razor-thin 0.06 seconds.
Austria’s Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber claimed the historic first-ever Olympic gold in this event, with Germany’s Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Emma Aicher taking silver.
The real silver lining? Shiffrin’s struggle created an opening for teammates Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan, who held third place and surged to bronze when the top favorites faltered. As one teammate put it amid the drama, they “asked for a miracle, and I think we were delivered one.”
Shiffrin, emotional in post-race comments, praised her compatriots’ achievement despite the personal disappointment—her Olympic medal drought now stretching longer amid high expectations. The U.S. team still celebrated adding to its medal tally in a day of high-stakes alpine action at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre.
This unexpected outcome highlights the razor-thin margins and raw pressure of Olympic competition, where even the most dominant athletes can face off days—and teammates can turn heartbreak into triumph.
