Mikaela Shiffrin overcame grief, crashes and her own self-doubt to win slalom gold again

February 18, 2026

TL;DR

Mikaela Shiffrin won her second Olympic slalom gold medal, 12 years after her first.
She became the most successful World Cup skier of all time with a record 108 victories.
Shiffrin overcame significant personal challenges, including the death of her father in 2020 and two career-threatening crashes.
She experienced battles with self-doubt and post-traumatic stress disorder, leading to an eight-year Olympic medal drought.
Her victory margin of 1.50 seconds was the largest in an Olympic alpine skiing event in nearly three decades.
Shiffrin described the win as feeling like 'being born again' and a way to accept her father's absence.
She highlighted the uncertainty of life and grief, contrasting it with the precision of her sport.
Despite doubts resurfacing after a disappointing performance in the team combined event, Shiffrin delivered a strong slalom run.
She is the first American skier to win three Olympic gold medals.

Continue reading the original article