Mikaela Shiffrin, the most decorated alpine skier in World Cup history with over 100 victories, once again found herself agonizingly close yet so far from Olympic glory in the women’s team combined event on Tuesday.
Teaming up with downhill gold medalist Breezy Johnson, the American duo entered the race as heavy favorites after claiming the world title last year. Johnson delivered a masterful opening downhill run, posting the fastest time and giving the pair a slim but promising lead heading into the slalom leg.
What followed, however, was a tense and uncharacteristic performance from Shiffrin. The 30-year-old slalom specialist—known for her precision and speed—skied cautiously, losing time at every checkpoint. She finished with the 15th-fastest slalom time among the 18 competitors who completed the run, clocking 1:36.59 overall in a performance NBC commentators described as “with tension.” The result dropped the Johnson-Shiffrin team to fourth place, just 0.06 seconds behind their U.S. teammates Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan, who secured bronze.
Austria’s Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber claimed gold, with Germany’s Emma Aicher and Kira Weidle-Winkelmann taking silver.
The near-miss has reignited discussions about Shiffrin’s Olympic struggles. Despite her dominance on the World Cup circuit—including 71 slalom wins—this marks her seventh straight Olympic event without a medal, extending a drought that began after her giant slalom gold in PyeongChang 2018. Fans and analysts have called it an “Olympic curse,” especially after her disappointing Beijing 2022 Games, where she failed to finish three events.
In the finish area, Shiffrin remained composed but reflective. “I didn’t find a comfort level that allowed me to produce full speed,” she told reporters. “I’m going to have to learn how to do that, what to adjust, in the short time we have before the other tech races.”
With the individual giant slalom set for February 15 and slalom on February 18, the pressure is mounting for the American star to break through. For now, the fourth-place finish stands as another heartbreaking chapter in what many hoped would be a redemptive Olympics.
