Mikaela Shiffrin, the undisputed queen of slalom skiing, buried years of Olympic heartbreak Wednesday with a masterful gold-medal performance at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The 30-year-old American dominated the women’s slalom, winning by a massive 1.50 seconds — the largest margin in an Olympic alpine event since 1998.
After crossing the finish line, Shiffrin dropped to a squat, head between her knees in sheer relief, before tears flowed as she waved to the roaring crowd and rushed to embrace her mom. “It’s like… being born again,” she said, voice catching.
This was Shiffrin’s signature event and her long-awaited revenge tour. Four years ago in Beijing, she shocking skied out in both slalom and giant slalom, leaving empty-handed. A brutal crash in November 2024 left her with a puncture wound and lingering PTSD. But on the Tofane course, she attacked.
Her first run clocked 47.13 seconds, building an 0.82-second lead. In the second, she sealed it flawlessly while key rivals crumbled: Germany’s Lena Duerr hooked a gate early, and Sweden’s Cornelia Oehlund snapped a pole and lost balance. Switzerland’s Camille Rast took silver (1:40.60), and Sweden’s Anna Swenn-Larsson bronze (1:40.81).
“This was a moment I’ve dreamed about — and been very scared of,” Shiffrin told NBC, her voice trembling as she spoke of life after losing her father in 2020. “Everything after you lose someone you love is a new experience… Maybe today was the first time I could accept this reality.”
With this victory, Shiffrin now owns the most Olympic gold medals of any U.S. skier (three total, including her 2014 and 2018 titles) and becomes both the youngest and oldest American woman to win alpine gold. Her 71 World Cup slalom wins remain a record, but this one felt different — a breakthrough beyond the podium.
Teammates Paula Moltzan (8th) and AJ Hurt (19th) represented the U.S., while Nina O’Brien did not finish the first run.
Shiffrin isn’t done writing her story. “We’re not even 5 percent through the book,” she said with a grin. “This feels like a really big moment… It’s just part of the journey.”
The demons are slayed. The legend grows. Mikaela Shiffrin is golden again — and freer than ever. 🥇
