Shiffrin Strikes Gold in Slalom at Milan-Cortina Games

Well, it turns out third time really was the charm for Mikaela Shiffrin. In her final attempt for a medal at the Milan-Cortina Games, she clinched gold in the slalom race, finishing with an impressive time of 1 minute and 39.10 seconds.

The slalom event requires racers to complete two runs, with their times combined for the final score. Interestingly, Shiffrin only dominated on the first run. As she approached the finish line, she took a moment to crouch low, her head tucked between her knees, clearly relieved to finally overcome the disappointment of the previous Olympics.

Taking the podium alongside her, Switzerland’s Camille Rast secured the silver medal with a time of 1:40.60, while Anna Swen Larsson from Sweden earned bronze, finishing at 1:40.81.

On the U.S. side, Paul Moltzen and AJ Hart finished 8th and 19th, respectively, although California’s Nina O’Brien was unable to complete her first run early that morning.

Shiffrin’s first run was notably strong, clocking in at 47.13 seconds, which gave her a notable lead of 0.82 seconds ahead of her competitors, setting her up nicely for the gold.

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After Shiffrin, Germany’s Lena Duer and Sweden’s Cornelia Ohlund were in second and third place, but both faced challenges in their second runs. Duer hit the first gate with her right ski, and Ohlund broke a pole, which threw her off balance.

This Winter Olympics were meant to be Shiffrin’s comeback after a rough time. In 2018, she brought home three medals but failed to medal in the slalom and giant slalom during the Beijing games four years later. Adding to her struggles, she had a serious accident in November 2024 during a giant slalom race, which resulted in a stab wound. That experience left her dealing with PTSD.

Up until her gold medal win, the Vail, Colorado, native had been relatively quiet during these games. She and Breezy Johnson placed fourth in the women’s team combined event, then Shiffrin finished 11th in the women’s giant slalom.

Notably, of her 108 World Cup victories, 71 were achieved in slalom. Shiffrin also claimed two gold medals in slalom and giant slalom at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, along with a silver medal in the team combined event during the same Games.