MILAN, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin finally put her Olympic struggles behind her, capturing gold in slalom at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Dominating the course at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Shiffrin completed her first run in 47.13 seconds, leaving her nearest competitor trailing by 0.82 seconds. The two-run format of slalom requires athletes to combine their times for a total score, and Shiffrin was hungry to add to her impressive career record.
Four hours later, Shiffrin stood poised at the starting gate for her second and final run, aware that she was just 51 seconds shy of securing her first Olympic medal since 2018. Despite the confidence of her earlier performance, the outcome was uncertain. Just before her run, German skier Lena Duerr, who was in second place, faltered by hitting a gate, and the competitor before Shiffrin broke a pole on the course.
In contrast, Shiffrin delivered an exceptional final run. Right from the start, she found her rhythm, gaining a one-second advantage over Swiss competitor Camille Rast, the defending world champion, within the first minute. As she navigated the flatter sector of the course, her lead extended to 1.5 seconds. Finishing with a time of 51.97 seconds, her combined time of 1:39.1 earned her first place by a margin of 1.5 seconds, marking the largest winning gap in Olympic Alpine skiing since 1998.
Shiffrin expressed her elation after the race, stating, “This whole time has been waiting for two times 45 seconds today to be able to ski, and I’m so happy to be able to do the right thing in the right moment.” This victory was significant, not only for its gold medal status but also for a comeback from previous disappointments at the Olympics.
Despite being a record-holder with 108 World Cup victories, Shiffrin faced numerous challenges leading up to these Olympics. After failing to earn medals at the 2022 games and finishing fourth in the team combined and 11th in the giant slalom earlier in Milan, Shiffrin took to social media to express her frustration about her earlier performances. She openly acknowledged her struggles with execution during races, which had caused her significant disappointment.
Compounding her challenges was an injury sustained in November 2024, resulting in a punctured side and what she described as crash-induced post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet, slalom remained her stronghold—71 of her World Cup wins have come in this discipline, where she first made history in Sochi in 2014 at age 18.
With Wednesday’s win, 30-year-old Shiffrin became both the youngest and oldest American woman to claim an Olympic gold in Alpine skiing. Her first run not only showcased her skill but reaffirmed her status as a premier athlete. Afterward, she reflected on the race, noting that while she was on the limit, her focus remained singularly on her performance.
As friends and family cheered her on from the grandstands—especially her mother, Eileen—Shiffrin took a moment to honor her late father, Jeff, who passed away in 2020. Addressing the emotional weight of the moment, she said, “Every new experience in life is an experience that he’s not here to see, not in person.”
This gold medal is not just a culmination of Shiffrin’s struggles but a significant chapter in her ongoing journey as an elite athlete.