Mikaela Shiffrin Secures Slalom Gold at 2026 Winter Olympics

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – Mikaela Shiffrin, the U.S. Skiing star and most decorated alpine skier of all time, ended her Olympic medal drought on Wednesday, winning gold in the women’s slalom at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The 30-year-ancient appeared visibly emotional after completing a strong second run in her best event, finishing with a combined time of 1:39.10.

Shiffrin bested Switzerland’s Camille Rast by 1.50 seconds, with Rast taking home the silver medal. Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson secured the bronze.

Ending a Medal Drought

Shiffrin had established an early lead in the event, completing her first slalom run in 47.13 seconds, ahead of Rast, Larsson, and other competitors. This victory marked her first Olympic medal since the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang.

Prior to Wednesday’s competition, Shiffrin had not reached the podium in eight consecutive Olympic events. She is the record holder for World Cup wins, with 71 slalom victories, and has secured a record ninth season slalom title.

Recent Performances

Shiffrin’s triumph came after a 11th-place finish in the women’s giant slalom on Sunday. Italy’s Frederica Brigone won the gold in that event. Shiffrin praised Brigone’s performance, stating, “That was, like, the greatest show of GS skiing that we’ve had in a really long time. And to do it, you realize, at the Olympics where people actually have eyes on the sport. Frederica skied incredible. That was so cool to watch.”

Rast’s Recent Successes

Camille Rast has recently demonstrated strong form, having ended Mikaela Shiffrin’s six-race winning streak in World Cup slaloms in January 2026. Rast beat Shiffrin by 0.14 seconds in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. She also won the giant slalom event on the same hill the day before.