Mikaela Shiffrin reclaimed her throne on the Olympic stage with a dominant gold-medal performance in the women’s slalom at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, ending an eight-year individual medal drought in breathtaking fashion. The victory, her third Olympic gold and fourth medal overall, made her the most decorated American alpine skier in history—and drew an outpouring of heartfelt support from her fiancé, Norwegian skiing star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
Shiffrin, 30, delivered two masterful runs on the demanding Cortina course, posting a combined time of 1:39.10 to win by a commanding 1.50 seconds over Switzerland’s Camille Rast (silver) and 1.71 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson (bronze). Her first run built an 0.82-second lead, and she attacked the second with precision, extending her margin in one of the largest winning gaps in recent Olympic slalom history.
The moment she crossed the finish line and saw the green light, emotion overwhelmed her. Shiffrin dropped to her knees, hugged them briefly in disbelief, then erupted in tears and celebration—marking a profound redemption after a medal-less Beijing 2022 and earlier disappointments in these Games, including 11th in giant slalom and fourth in the team combined.
In post-race interviews, Shiffrin described a deeply personal, almost spiritual connection during the race, reflecting on grief for her late father Jeff (who passed in 2019) and how this victory helped her find peace amid milestone moments without him. “I still have so many moments where I resist this—’I don’t want to be in life without my dad,'” she shared, crediting her inner circle—including her mother/coach Eileen, psychologist, therapist, and Kilde—for keeping her focused on the turns between start and finish.
Kilde, sidelined from these Olympics due to lingering injuries from a severe crash but ever her biggest supporter, immediately shared an emotional Instagram tribute that captured the skiing world’s admiration. “Mikaela, what you did today shows that your mental strength is out of this world,” he wrote. “Four years ago you left the Olympics with more questions than answers. Today you answered every single one. You shut all our mouths and showed the world who the queen is 👑. I’ve seen the work you’ve put in both physically and mentally over the last years—you are my biggest inspiration and I’m a proud fiancé to say it at least. I love you ❤️.”
Shiffrin reposted the message to her story with crying and heart emojis, while Kilde added his own simple caption: “You won!!” Earlier reports noted his succinct yet powerful story share: “She did it again,” underscoring their unbreakable bond through shared highs, lows, and the unique challenges of elite competition across rival national teams.
The win cements Shiffrin’s legacy: three Olympic golds (slalom in 2014 and 2026, giant slalom in 2018), plus a silver in combined (2018), and a record of over 100 World Cup victories. She became the first U.S. alpine skier with three Olympic golds and the first woman to win Olympic slalom twice.
As congratulations flooded in from teammates like Breezy Johnson and legends like Lindsey Vonn, Shiffrin’s triumph stood as a testament to resilience, mental fortitude, and the power of unwavering support—none more evident than from the fiancé who called her his “biggest inspiration.”
With the slalom gold in hand, Shiffrin’s Milano Cortina journey ends on the highest note, proving once more why she’s widely regarded as the queen of alpine skiing.
