Shiffrin Eyes Redemption in Final Olympic Event After Medal Drought

American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin will compete in Wednesday's slalom race, her final opportunity to earn a medal at the Milano Cortina Olympics. Despite dominating the slalom circuit this season with seven wins in eight races, Shiffrin hasn't captured Olympic gold since 2018.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – American alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin faces her final opportunity to claim Olympic hardware at the Milano Cortina Games when she takes to the slopes Wednesday for the slalom competition, capping off the alpine skiing program.

The 30-year-old athlete enters the race as the clear frontrunner, having established herself as the most accomplished World Cup alpine skier in history. Her season statistics paint a picture of complete dominance – capturing seven victories in eight slalom competitions while placing second in the remaining event.

Shiffrin’s credentials in the discipline are unmatched. She claimed Olympic gold in 2014 and has secured four world championship titles in slalom. This season alone, she clinched the women’s World Cup slalom crystal globe for an unprecedented ninth time. Among her 108 World Cup victories, an impressive 71 have come in slalom events – more than any alpine competitor has achieved in a single discipline.

However, mounting expectations continue to intensify as observers frequently reference her inability to medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. Her last Olympic podium appearance dates back to 2018, creating additional pressure despite her remarkable World Cup achievements.

Earlier in these Games, Shiffrin entered the team combined event as the gold medal favorite. Following downhill specialist Breezy Johnson’s strong opening performance, the competition hinged on the slalom portion. Shiffrin recorded the 15th-fastest time in that segment, ultimately placing fourth alongside her teammate.

The giant slalom proved equally challenging for the American star, where she finished 11th following her second run. The course for that event was set by her coach Karin Harjo, who made history as the first woman to design an Olympic alpine course. Shiffrin has struggled with giant slalom since sustaining a puncture wound during a November 2024 race.

Prior to the giant slalom competition, Shiffrin addressed the intense scrutiny through social media, acknowledging that while Olympic coverage centers on medal outcomes, athletes face “vulnerability to erroneous judgment and narratives built on a limited understanding of what this sport truly demands.”

Reflecting on her performance after the giant slalom, Shiffrin analyzed her struggles during the opening week.

“There were a lot of turns where I was quite quick on the team combined day, and a handful where I missed. There was just a misalignment, and it was a combination of course setting, equipment, and conditions, and then my mentality was not matching the day,” she explained.

“So I’m kind of going into it (the slalom) with my eyes open that we can see a very similar situation, and I will try to handle it differently in my head.”

Shiffrin’s competitors are hoping course conditions and slope design will work in their favor come race day.

Switzerland’s Camille Rast stands as the only skier to defeat Shiffrin in slalom this season. The current world champion seeks her first Olympic medal. Her Swiss teammate, 32-year-old Wendy Holdener, earned silver at the 2025 world championships where Shiffrin placed fourth. The five-time Olympic medalist chose to skip Sunday’s giant slalom to focus additional training time on slalom preparation.

Several other contenders have reached World Cup podiums this season, including Austria’s Katharina Truppe, Germany’s three-time Olympic silver medalist Emma Aicher, and Lara Colturi, who was born in Italy but competes for Albania. Germany’s Lena Duerr and American Paula Moltzan, who earned bronze in the team combined, also pose potential threats.

The host nation Italy will field only three competitors after officials denied their request to replace injured 16-year-old Giada d’Antonio.